


A Town For the Dreary

by Dangantrash



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Character Death, Fluff, Homophobia, Homophobic language (Only used once), Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Mental Instability, Murder Mystery, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-09-23 01:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9634253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dangantrash/pseuds/Dangantrash
Summary: There is a strange, small town in which Nagito Komaeda grew up where the sun doesn't shine and nothing has really changed in it for his entire sixteen years of life. His town does not think highly of him and there are many secrets revolving around him. The sudden appearance of a new student who moved to "get a fresh start" changed Komaeda's life from dull to a little bit brighter.





	1. The Beginning of the Bend

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoy reading this story I am writing! I had tons of fun writing this and will most definitely be regularly updated. If you have read my other stories I reread them and found tons of things I was very unhappy with, I am not sure when I will be updating those and I am incredibly sorry for not doing so. My life has been insanely hectic and I hope you all can forgive me. Nevertheless, I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter!

Over his head was a pale grey sheet that loomed over the gloomy town casting down a dreary feeling that caused the dreary to feel even drearier. He couldn’t recall the last time the sun wasn’t sheathed behind the wall of overcast clouds. Nothing had ever changed in that town. Yet despite all of the years he had spent here, he had still remained vulnerable to the dim rays that the sky shot down through his rib cage and into his brittle heart. He no longer resisted these rays and simply lived his life the way he had been for years now. He would present himself as an impeccable human that would smile bright enough to replace the sun itself.

As he would lie in bed at night he could feel the shriek of something rushing toward him that caused him to remain adamant on sealing his window shut every time the clouds went from dark to darker. He couldn’t hear the shriek, nor could he see it. He could feel it. He didn’t know when it would come or how it would present itself, but he knew it would make an appearance soon. He wasn’t sure if he was dreading it, or perhaps the chill that rushed down his spine was from exhilaration.

The town he lived in was an odd one. It wasn’t one of those small towns that everyone dreams of living in, in fact, it was quite the opposite. When you would first set foot in the town it would seem rather pleasant as you gazed at all the people greeting each other with smiles and talks of the family; however, the deeper and farther you get in the layers start shriveling up and peeling away to expose the true layer that stayed hidden underneath as though it was no more than patterned wallpaper.

Well, he couldn’t exactly complain. He was no different from anyone else. He was no more than a number in the population sign on the edge of the town that had gotten brown from the persistent rain. If his number were to get shaved off no one would mind in the slightest.

He was only sixteen years old when he walked down the sidewalk with brown, dead plants that stuck up through the cracks in an attempt to find the sun but like the rest of them, not succeeding. His backpack laid heavy on his shoulders filled with new supplies to last him throughout the semester. As he walked his cloud-like hair bobbed up and down with each lethargic step he took with his lanky legs.

This boy was Nagito Komaeda. He wore his notorious green jacket with bright red numbers that stuck out against the grey town like a corpse laying in a bed of calla lilies. While he walked to school he kept his eyes dead locked on the space in front of him, staring off and not thinking of where he was going as he made three left turns and two rights. He walked his way through this route too many times to count.

He walked into the somber school with students who, in Komaeda’s eyes, would morph into the same person, which looked the same and spoke the same, talking of nothing but the same thing as yesterday. They all turned into the edges of a dark tunnel that formed over him and labored his breath from the scarcity of oxygen. All of them took more breaths than needed be to suck all the air out and exhale their poison. But of course, Komaeda didn’t particular mind. He wouldn’t have a chance of knowing what people outside of the town were like, they did indeed have an airport nearby, but only once did he attempt to use it.

He trudged through the halls and into his first period class and took his seat in the back row. He didn’t like when people where behind him. He always imagined them looking at his back and making fun of how odd it looked when his shirt wrinkled in a certain way. He folded his hands and looked down at his desk, staring at the ugly wrinkles on his thumb. He briefly considered taking out his book and reading, but he didn’t feel like moving his body as he had already committed to sitting still.

He heard the regular mumbling of people increase once the bell rang and the colony of penguins shuffle into the room.

But what did happen that was out of the ordinary was the teacher who hit her desk twice and yelled, asking the students to pay attention. If the other kids would have stopped and paid more attention they would have noticed how the teacher never starts her lectures with a smack on the desk and a shout, she normally claps her hands twice to quiet them down without saying a word as they clapped along. Quite a childish feat, but it was how it was. Most wouldn’t have taken notice to this; nonetheless, Komaeda’s eyes quickly flicked upwards and he gazed at her, the grey sky illuminating off of his cold piercing stare, waiting for what she had to disclose.

“We have a new student today, he has just moved here, so give him a warm welcome.”

The class quickly broke into a quite murmur that sifted through the room like a moths wings. No one had expected this. For Komaeda’s entire life, he had only ever seen two people move into this town. He felt his body tense in anticipation.

Who are they? What do they look like? Where are they from? And why would they move _here_?

The class became quiet as a boy walked through the door with a confidence that shot through the room like the sun reflected off of a mirror, blinding. He was tan with hazel-green eyes and chestnut hair with a piece that stuck up a bit higher than the rest. He flashed them a smile and along with that came a dimple that formed on his right cheek. It was a smile unlike any other he’d seen. It wasn’t the smile you’d see around this town it was something entirely fresh and new.

Komaeda’s eyes stayed locked on his as he spoke his first words. “Hi, my name is Hajime Hinata, I just moved here the other day and I am looking forward to getting to know you all.” He finished with a small bow. A short and average introduction, but you didn’t need much to excite people in this town.

Before anyone could respond the teacher blurted out a question that Komaeda could tell she was holding by the way he saw seeing her shifting around on her feet impatiently out of the corner of his eye.

“Why did you move here?” She inquired, speaking for all of the students in the class who were wondering who in their right minds would move to a location like this.

He smiled at her and responded, “My Mom and I just wanted a fresh start is all.” It was a rather vague answer, but anything would do really.

She smiled in fascination and welcomed him in and directed him towards his seat. She looked around the room trying to find an empty seat and clearly avoided looking at the desk that was directly in the middle of the room, almost as though she perceived it as nonexistent. When her eyes fell on Komaeda’s, she knew that the seat next to him was the one Hinata would have to take. Komaeda kept his eyes on hers and smiled a cunning smile, waiting for her final verdict. It was obvious that she would have to put him there. No matter what other option she had it would only fail to upset other students. The shadows from the small windows glowed against her face to define every pore and wrinkle as she frowned in thought. Komaeda saw each emotion flashing through her eyes going from anger to hesitation back to anger then back to hesitation.

She finally realized she was keeping the new boy from sitting down so she ultimately told him to sit there. Hinata looked at her with confusion and a tinge of annoyance in response to their wordless conversation. Komaeda smiled at her once more with his eyes shut at an attempt to increase the sincerity, as though changing your appearance could change what was inside.

Hinata instantly turned towards him and held out his hand, “hey, what’s your name?” Komaeda reached towards his, gripped it weakly and responded. “My name is Nagito Komaeda, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Hinata reciprocated his statement and turned over to the person on his left to say hello. Komaeda closed his eyes and listened to their introduction.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

“Hello, my name is Peko Pekoyama, it is nice to meet you.” Hinata smiled at her and Komaeda could practically feel his lips turn up.

He’d never known anyone who’s smiled this brightly, let alone anyone who gave a genuine one. Other students stood up and walked over to introduce themselves and that is when Komaeda decided to tune them out. Everyone morphed back into nobody, well, all expect for Hinata. He seemed different. Not necessarily special, just different.

Komaeda saw the teacher walk over to her desk and sit down and thought that she was most likely giving people time to introduce themselves and help him feel welcome. This was when Komaeda had decided to take out his book and read. He had three books in his bag that he kept with him every day as he alternated which one he read often. Reading just one at a time was very tedious to him.

The book he decided to read was _The Illustrated Man_ by Ray Bradbury. Out of the three it had been his favorite, although the writing was indeed beautiful he often hesitated to read it as each time he did, it made him want to get sucked into it and live out each individual story that laid inside. All of Bradbury’s books seemed to do that. They made you go mad with desire to live out each and every one of the words that he wrote.

He couldn’t even get through the first sentence of the chapter when Hinata gasped. Komaeda looked away from the book with no hesitation to see what the boy had to say.

“That’s one of my favorite books! My favorite chapter is the one titled Kaleidoscope.” Hinata exclaimed seeming over joyous at the prospect of finding someone who had the same book taste as him. “Yes, that is one of my favorites as well, the way each of their minds respond to them falling from space is absolutely lovely.” Komaeda responded with a smile on his lips. “I also enjoy the chapter where they are on Venus trapped in the everlasting rain.” Hinata simply nodded in agreement, a tinge of red on his cheeks from excitement.

As Komaeda looked at him his mind had a flashing image of a yellow dandelion growing between grey concrete slabs. He wanted to water the flower and help it grown to the best of its ability. And perhaps one day a bee could pollinate it and spread it around and create more beautiful dandelions all around the town.

The images vanished once the teacher clapped twice and everyone clapped along (besides Hinata whom clapped a little late as he did not see it coming).

“Okay class we need to get started, I’m sorry to do this on the first day but, I'm assigning a partner project that your partner and you will be working on till the end of the year.” The class groaned, “Now, now” She reprimanded, “it will not be difficult so quit your whining.”

Komaeda wondered what she would assign. He assumed it would be something frivolous like, ‘take care of this egg and treat it as your child’.

“So the project is going to be you answering a question in a four to six page essay.” The class groaned once again. “You guys, this is an English class I can make it much longer if you’d like.” Everyone cried out in protest and she nodded her head and continued “The question is; “what is the meaning of life?”” The class got quiet for a few moments to process the information.

The silence was suddenly broken when the shark-toothed boy stood up and shouted. “Chisa Sensei! This is English not philosophy!” A few people laughed, but a girl with long blond hair stood up and scolded him, “Sit down and let her finish!” Of course the boy took his seat.

“As I was saying, yes this is a weird topic; however, as you all know the suicide rate is very high in our town.”

The air in the classroom took a shift and everyone gazed at an empty seat in the middle of the class, one girl bit her lip and cracked her knuckles nervously. The chair seemed to burn with life at all of the attention it was receiving. Komaeda kept his gaze forward but occasionally glanced at Hinata to see how uncomfortable he was. Hinata’s eyes were flickering from the seat and back to the teacher and down at his hands.

“I’m sorry to bring up such a dark topic at the beginning of a fresh chapter but, I feel like this project will be a positive thing for all of us. There is obviously no correct answer as I just want you and your partner to work together on thinking and experiencing different things.” She paused, “I think you guys can find something to write about and maybe this will make you look on the bright side of things.” She concluded with a plastic smile.

The class continued to stay silent and everyone seemed to be trying to find a place to look that would alleviate the growing lump in their throats. Chisa clapped her hands and shouted, “Alright, find your partners.”

Everyone started moving and shouting except for Komaeda who quickly counted how many people were in the class to make sure it was even and he wouldn’t be the odd one out. He counted twenty two students, the new arrival balanced out the count. Komaeda’s thoughts ran bitterly, twenty two students still did not change the fact that he would be singled out and they would have to force someone to be his partner like back in grade school when the kids would play rock paper scissors-best two out of three to decide who would be stuck with him.

“Hey can I be your partner?” Hinata suddenly asked protruding his thoughts.

A few of the classmates heard and they turned around to watch the interaction. No one would volunteer to be with Komaeda unless they hadn’t grown up beside him.

“Are you sure?” Komaeda replied saying the only thing that came to his abnormally blank mind.

Hinata eyebrows went down in confusion, or was it annoyance? “Well yeah-I mean why would I ask if I wasn’t?” Hinata was looking at him, waiting for an answer from the boy who was looking at him but not exactly looking _at_ him. “Look if you don’t want to be my partner that’s okay but-“

“Wait yes I’d appreciate that but, are you certain you’d like to work with someone like me?”

Hinata reiterated his statement without once raising his brows, “Well yeah, I’m not sure what ‘someone like me’ means, but yes I’d like to work with you.”

Komaeda was concerned as he glanced at the students who gave him a stare that said, ‘stay the fuck away from the new kid Komaeda’.

“O-Okay.” He stammered out with uncertainty.

Hinata simply smiled and reached into his bag to pull out a book titled  _Slaughterhouse Five_ by Kurt Vonnegut. ”We can talk more about our favorite books as well.”


	2. Unripe Fruit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter! I had tons of fun writing it :)

The day ended and Komaeda was walking home. Out of sheer boredom he had decided to take the long route. The long route was on a dirt path that went along the back of the town stores. To the left of the architecture was a dark forest that seemed to loom over your back each time you looked away. It was almost as if the forest itself is what caused the umbrage of shadows that laid upon the town. Sometimes as he walked, Komaeda would imagine the branches reaching out to him and slithering up his back like eight-legged insects. As it crawled up your back the wood sounded like whispers that sparked among a crowd of nobody’s. The insolent people whom couldn’t keep their mouths shut. Almost as though they had nothing better to do than talk of other people, so absolutely repulsed with themselves that they could never even imagine to speak of anyone but others.

Komaeda kept his gaze locked on the forest when he heard a large boom echo against a building behind him.

“P-Please stop!”

“See if this useless bitch has anything!”

Komaeda turned around, _Ahhhhh Mikan Tsumiki_ , he thought as he looked at the two boys with no faces who were searching her school bag.

“You’ve got no money in here?” One of the boys shouted.

“N-No, I don’t have a-anything in there.”

“Lying bitch!” The other one screeched while throwing her bag down causing dust to fly up around it.

Mikan squeezed her eyes shut as she flinched in fear, once she cracked them open again her tears spilled down her cheeks and her stare landed on Komaeda.  
A desperate pleading look washed over her gaze and this look caused the two of them to turn around.

“Oh, it’s the fucking creepy kid!”

Komaeda kept his mouth shut and his gaze hardened as he thought, _how splendid they saw me_.

“Yes, I’m sure that’s me.” He replied with a sneer and a snake-like smile. As he finished his reply the two walked over to him and began shouting stupid frivolous words.

“Why don’t you move along ugly? Nobody wants you here,” He pointed toward Mikan, “I’m sure even this whore wants you to leave.”

“Oh I’m terribly sorry-I mean, I’d surely love to leave but I’m afraid you’re blocking my path.”

“Don’t get sassy bitch!”

Suddenly the ground came towards Komaeda and hit him in the face. Blood poured from his forehead and pooled on the ground like ink on a canvas. His mouth tasted of dirt and grime in which he attempted to spit out but his mouth was so dry it stuck to the sides.

“O-Oh shit that’s a lot of blood!” The first one ran off with the second one trailing behind, yelling for him to wait.

Komaeda kept his eyes shut in an attempt to ward off the throbbing headache that pounded against his skull. His back was turned to the forest and he could feel the branches reaching out in an attempt to drag him in. In a moment of fear he jolted up and sat on his butt facing the forest, eyes opened so wide his eyelashes touched the skin below his brows.

“K-Komaeda-san!” Mikan squealed while running over to the injured boy.

“A-Are you okay? I have a first aid kit l-let me help you!”

Komaeda reached a hand up to his head to touch the wound and pulled it back seeing a red liquid dripping from his fingertips.

Komaeda heard and in-humane voice speak softly, “I’m fine, thank you for offering.” He tried to stand up, but fell back down dizzily. “K-Komaeda-san! Please let me help.”

Despite the injury he managed a weak laugh and smile, “N-No need to trouble yourself with me.” Mikan dropped down to his level and began bandaging his head, ignoring his protests. She got up and ran over to her bag to pull out a water bottle and a first aid kit.

“Here, drink.” Mikan said as she returned and pushed the bottle to his lips. Komaeda drank because he had no other choice and felt the water rush down his throat like a mudslide. She wrapped a bandage around his head after cleaning out the cut.

He snapped his blurry gaze up when he heard a sniffle from Mikan.

“I-I’m so sorry.” She hiccupped, “It’s all my fault that this happened.” She sobbed, chocking on her words and squeezing her hands over her eyes.  
Komaeda furrowed his brow as watched her wondering how she wasn’t popping her eyeballs out of their sockets with the sheer force she was laying upon her eyelids.

They both sat in the silence of her sobs until Komaeda realized he had forgotten to reply. “No, it isn’t your fault at all Mikan-san, it’s my fault for having such a punch-able face.” He said with a cheerful smile and laugh despite the extreme negativity of the statement.

Komaeda had a way with words like that. He could say the most awful statements with a laugh and because of his perkiness they could sometimes go overlooked.

“No, it’s all my fault, all my fault, all of it!” She repeated with a screech.  
Komaeda flinched at her volumes and attempted to stand up. He needed to get home before dark or else the thing he had been feeling would surely catch him. He side eyed the forest as he spoke.

“Thank you for patching me up Mikan-san, but I must get going now. I have a curfew.”

She sniffed and removed her hands from her, what he had expected to be gaping, swollen eyes. “O-Oh, okay, I’m sorry again, thank you for not leaving me.”

“No need to thank me.” He responded curtly and said his goodbyes. As he walked he glanced back again to see her waving and then picking up her bag and walking off of the road.

He sighed and continued his delayed trek home, eyes glued to the right.

The night ended with a shower, a sealed window and a stare at the ceiling.

 

Komaeda opened his eyes to the pattering of rain outside of his bedroom window. He imagined a claw reaching down from the roof and clanking its nails on the window to wake him from his sleep. There was one thing Komaeda did not mind that came along with living here and that was the rain. He’d never used an umbrella and didn’t even keep one in his house. He enjoyed feeling of the rain running through his hair and soaking up into the clothing that rested on the nape of his neck.

Komaeda got dressed, grabbed his bag, an orange with crackers and made his way out the door. As he walked outside he paused to look at his garden. No one else in this town had very many bright plants in their yard. Komaeda on the other hand had plenty and loved every bit of it. He could water the plants and have them grow into a beautiful garden with bright colors that popped out on his gloomy street. Or, he could grab them by the head and tear their roots from the soil, cutting their lives short.

Komaeda soon made it to school and went in class early to sit in his seat. What surprised him was that Hinata was already there. Komaeda was normally the first person in the class every time, so seeing Hinata was a great disturbance in his normalcy.

Hinata hadn’t even seemed human to Komaeda. It was like he was up on a pedestal and looking down at all of them. He would keep a gracious smile on his face, but you could tell that under the plaster of his skin he was filled with disgust at the sheer boredom he as being subjected to. He seemed far too good for this town.

He was sitting with his hand under his chin and his eyes were looking around the classroom at every motivational poster that the teacher hung up around the room. There were so many bright colors covering the wall that the room seemed to come straight out of a circus. Chisa-sensei was definitely a perky person.

Hinata snapped his gaze away from the wall right after Komaeda walked in.

“Ah, hey Komaeda” he greeted blandly.

_Of course I knew it he views me as though I’m as tedious as everyone else. Nothing more than a germ in the soil under his feet. I must find a way to entertain him with my presence._

Hinata seemed to almost sense Komaeda’s self-depreciative thoughts as he suddenly stretched and commented on how tired he was, hoping that by saying this it would excuse his tasteless response.

 

 

This went unnoticed by Komaeda and he responded with a beam “Hello Hinata-kun, why are you here so early?”

Hinata brought his hands back from behind his head and placed both hands palm-down on the desk, “Eh, just felt like coming early.” He paused and looked into Komaeda’s eyes, “Do you normally come early?”

“Yes I do, I enjoy early morning walks when no one is really out.” He replied as he took his seat.

“Well I suppose that clears the question of whether or not you take the bus.” Hinata stated as though he were thinking out loud.

I wanted to ask him more interesting questions, but a loud mouthed girl with bright blonde hair busted through the door with her freckled companion.

“I don’t even like that flavor of gummy-“She paused when her eyes landed on Hinata. “Hey! It’s the new kid. Come to class early to kiss up to the teacher?”

Hinata’s eyebrows shot down in both a look of confusion and annoyance, “Uh no, not exactly.”

The red-haired girl lightly slapped her on the arm and demanded she apologized for her attitude. The blonde haired girl gave in and said sorry and they all three soon exchanged their names. The red-heads name was Koizumi, and the snarky blondes name was Saionji.

Komaeda wasn’t very fond of Saionji, and no it wasn’t because of her attitude, Komaeda could almost feel the revolting tar that seemed to build up inside of the girl. She not only had a nasty personality, but she seemed hopeless. Komaeda always wondered what had happened to her to make her so full of despair, but, he figured it was nothing special. The town may have just gotten to her sooner than the rest.

As they continued their conversation Hinata would give an occasional worried glance at Komaeda. He wondered why the two girls had their backs turned to Komaeda and hadn’t even acknowledged his presence once. Almost as though the two of them deliberately ignored him. When an opportunity arose to bring him into the conversation the girls had already moved onto a different topic.

Before any of them had realized it, ten or so minutes had passed and students were piling into the classroom.

Hinata let out a sigh that was filled with exhaustion and turned over to look at Komaeda and flashed him a smile that seemed almost apologetic.

Komaeda raised an eyebrow, confused as to why he would be sorry for anything. He didn’t do anything wrong after all.

“Okay, everyone get out a sheet of paper for some notes.” The teacher said with a clap.

 

 

Lunch came around after a few hours of classes and Komaeda wandered to his usual spot under the third largest willow tree that was on a secluded part on the side of the school. The light drizzle of rain dripped down from the willow leaves that hung over him. Not so much rain to prevent people from eating outside, but enough to get you considerably wet.

He wondered where Hinata sat, he assumed it was with a big group of people seeing how interested everyone was in him. His selfish self-had wished that Hinata would sit with him. He never particularly minded sitting alone but ever since he met Hinata his desire to be next to someone had grown rather strong. 

Komaeda looked into his school bag and pulled out his lunch. An orange and a few crackers, he had always been a very light eater. To his surprise, when he looked up Hinata was walking over to his location with a small wave.

He felt uneasy and clenched his unripe, hard orange in his palm, pushing the nail he had stuck in to open it further in, irritating it.

“Hey Komaeda, I’ve been wondering where you sat a lunch. I forgot to ask you during class.” He said as he sat down directly next to Komaeda, cross-legged with their knees slightly grazing on each other. Komaeda eyes flickered down and back up as he responded, “Hey Hinata-kun, I’m terribly sorry for not telling you and making you go through the trouble of finding me. I presumed you wouldn’t want to sit with me.”

Hinata laughed, “What made you think that, we’re friends after all.” 

Komaeda paused and unclenched his orange, “W-We are?”

“Well, yeah I kinda just assumed we were- I mean, we are partners and…” Hinata said as he gradually mumbled his words and looked towards the ground in contemplation.

Komaeda just watched him, fascinated with how he acted once he went into deep thought. There seemed to be nothing that hadn’t interested Komaeda when it came to him. He was a positive magnetic force that dragged his negative force towards him at all times.

Hinata looked back up at him and reached out his hand, surprising Komaeda and causing him to jolt a little bit.

“Would you like to be friends Komaeda?” Hinata asked with his normal stern, yet soft expression. Komaeda pondered how anyone could make such an expression.  How could a face show two completely opposite expressions and blend them into one.

He slowly reached his hand out and shook it and Hinata’s face broke into a small grin.

“S-Sure.” Komaeda stuttered.

“Awesome.”

Komaeda set his orange down onto the grass and stared at his hand with orange residue underneath the nail of his thumb. A light ache was throbbing underneath his nail at the irritation of pushing the skin down from the hard orange. The grass blew around his hand from the chilly, soft breeze and Komaeda looked back up to see Hinata in his face.

The overcast sky brought out the green color in Hinata’s eyes making them protrude and contrast against the dull environment. The stare was piercing as though he was analyzing you and stripping down each layer that covered your body to get into your soul.

“Are you okay? You’ve got this sad look on your face.”

Komaeda smiled softly and shook his head, “No, I’m fine.”

Hinata mumbled an alright and began eating his sandwich. Komaeda picked up his orange and stuck his thumb nail into the peel again and tried to open it but the fruit was not ripe enough for his feeble nails.

“Can’t open it? Hinata commented with a hand over his mouth to cover his chewing, “Here I’ve got it.”

Hinata took the orange, opened it with ease and peeled it to where there wasn’t a break and you could practically push the rips of the peel together making it look like an untouched orange.

“T-Thank you Hinata-kun.” Komaeda said while he took the orange back from his hands and began to eat it. A warm feeling traveled down into his stomach as though the orange was on fire. He hadn’t felt this way before; however, he didn’t really mind the feeling. He had always enjoyed interesting things.

 

                                                                                                                 


	3. It Was Just the Rain's Fault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly have no excuse for this taking so long other than exhaustion haven't been sleeping very well lately.  
> Hope you all enjoy this, I love you guys <3

The rest of the school week went by and Komaeda had been exiting the school on Friday. His thoughts were blank as he flickered through the quick students eager for the weekend. A soft voice by his side caused him to snap out of his trance and look towards the source.

“So, how about it?” Hinata repeated with an expectant stare.

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t hear you. About what?”

“How about we hang out tomorrow and discuss the whole project thing she assigned.” He restated, putting air quotations up when he mentioned the project.

Komaeda’s thoughts ran to find a solution. He didn’t want Hinata to come to his house. Although he cleaned very often, he was afraid Hinata would find something he perceived as unsightly.

“We can do it at my house.”

Komaeda smiled lightly knowing he’d feel too guilty to say no and agreed to hang out with him.

Hinata smiled and picked up his pace a little as he continued speaking. “Well, I should hurry to the bus. See you tomorrow.” He began to lightly jog, but paused and turned around to where he was facing Komaeda with a goofy look on his face.

“How stupid, I forgot” He lightly laughed and tapped himself on the head. “We should probably exchange phone numbers.” Komaeda frowned and stuck his thumbs between the strings of his backpack.

“Um, I’m so sorry, but I don’t have a cellphone. I’ve never had one.”

Hinata had a look of shock on his face, but quickly came up with a different solution and pulled out a piece of paper to write his address down.

“If you’re okay with taking the bus to my house I’d really appreciate that. I would say I could come and pick you up and we could ride back together, but my mom is hardly okay with me taking the bus to the school. If it’s too far we can meet somewhere else another time, but- I mean this town is pretty small.” He stated with an apologetic look in his eyes.

“No, it shouldn’t be any trouble at all.” Komaeda responded happily.

“Alright, how’s three?”

“That works perfectly.”

“Cool, see you then.” He swung back around and began walking quickly to the bus, looking back once with a small wave.

Komaeda waved back and continued walking home. His hands twisted his backpack strings around his fingers and cut off the circulation, causing them to turn bright red as though they could at any moment pop.

He had never been to someone’s house before. He didn’t know how he should act or present himself, nor did he know what to even talk about.

_The meaning of life._

Komaeda scoffed and kicked a rock off the sidewalk and onto the street. _What a stupid, frivolous, irrelevant topic. An absolute waste of time and energy._

_The meaning of life is certainly not something to find, it’s what you are required to do. Such as taxes, bills, a job, eating- it’s nothing deep or meaningful it’s what society gives you._

Komaeda wasn’t mindful of how frustrated he truly looked. People passing by did their best to keep their heads down, not wishing to somehow further enrage the white haired boy.

Although he wasn’t fully aware of his exposed anger, he could certainly see how everyone was acting around him. He felt himself grown stale _. What did I do this time_? He thought bitterly.

Now don’t get him wrong. He loved everyone and only wishes for them to thrive and become the best version of themselves they could possibly be. But, living there was exhausting. He felt like the center of the disease that spread through the town. As though his legs were roots that spread their nauseating black ink that seeped into everything living and perforated into the sky, causing it to stay indefinitely grey. He believed everyone hated him.

Komaeda pulled out Hinata’s address and felt a small smile twitch on his lips. With joy also came fear for him.

_Don’t screw this up._

 

 

 

 

It was 2’oclock the next day and Komaeda had just finished watering his garden. He locked his door and made his way to the bus stop.

As he took a seat on the bench and pulled his honey-brown sweater back from his wrist to check the time. He didn’t get a chance to process what time it was when two boys walked by and poured their ice water onto his head. Komaeda gasped at the ice rushing down his back and jumped up, dropping Hinata’s address. The two boys, who Komaeda observed were the ones who bullied Mikan the other day, snickered and kept walking, turning back once to flip him off.

Komaeda shivered and pulled the sweater off of his neck in an attempt to alleviate the harsh burn the cold gave him. He saw the bus coming and released his sweater, subtly flinching when it came back into contact on his neck. He quickly rushed to grab the address that ended up in the gutter a ways down from the moving water.

His eyes paused on the dirty water rushing through the gutter while he picked up the paper, water dripping through his eyelashes and entering his eyes like eye drops. _I’ll tell him that a car splashed me while driving by._

The bus doors opened and he rushed back and stepped on, completely ignoring the, some concerned, glances towards his soaking-wet self. He dropped his payment in the driver’s open, now wet, palm, took the one empty seat in the back and stared down at his wet hands.

He remained completely neglectful of the slight glances for the duration of the ride, only looking up when his destination was called. As he stood up, his shoes squeaked throughout his walk down the aisle.

Once he stepped down from the bus, he walked, with the address in his hand and would pause in front of windows in an attempt to fix his hair. He stopped in a shop window and frowned, _I look like an injured, wet dog._ He heard people coming up behind him, so he continued to the house.

He arrived and stopped in front to check the time. Three twenty six, a little too early and Komaeda was worried Hinata would grow angry at him.

Out of fear of being seen standing outside of his house, he knocked on Hinata’s door three times. Thankfully, Hinata answered the door and smiled and him, then saw his hair and frowned.

”What happened? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine, a car drove by and splashed me with water.” He said with a reassuring smile.

Hinata made a small sound of acknowledgement and let his eyes linger on his for a bit longer than necessary.

Suddenly, he swung the door open. “Well, come on in, I’ll introduce you to my Mom, but first I’ll go get you a towel.”

“Thank-“Komaeda said before stopping as Hinata walked away to get a towel for him.

A beautiful women with long chestnut-brown hair peeked around the corner and smiled brightly.

“Oh my goodness,” She exclaimed as she reached for Komaeda’s hand, “You’re the one I heard about, Hajime is always talking about you!” She beamed, not even glancing away from Komaeda when they both hear a loud groan from upstairs.

Komaeda shook her hand and responded with a laugh, “Nice to meet you, I am so honored he would speak of me!” Komaeda could hear Hinata slap his forehead while walking down the stairs.

Komaeda took notice of her blue outfit and tired eyes, _most definitely a nurse,_ he observed wondering why she wasn’t working right then. She quickly glanced at his hair and he presumed she must have overheard Hinata ask him why it was wet.

“I’m so thankful he’s made friends, he can come off as quite mean, so I was so worried.” She said, very exuberantly.

Hinata made a sound of distaste and walked up to Komaeda to grab his hand. “Well, we should probably get started mom.”

“Alrighty, have fun and if you need anything just let me know.”

Komaeda said thank you and followed after Hinata who was tugging on his hand.

“She seems very nice.”

 “Eh, I suppose.” Hinata replied curtly as he placed the towel into Komaeda’s hands.

He opened his door with Komaeda’s hand still in his grasp, seeming to not notice that this prolonged contact was no longer needed. Komaeda’s eyes were flickering down to the hand and back up and he was feeling light headed. After Hinata closed his door behind them with a sigh, he looked down at their hands and a flicker of embarrassment passes over his eyes. He slowly loosened his grip and pulled his hand back, Komaeda followed suit.

“Uh, well welcome to my room, it’s rather dull and some stuff is still in it boxes, but it’s okay.”

Komaeda unconsciously wiped his hands against the fabric of his pants and responded, “It’s very lovely and I like the lights on your curtains.”

Hinata’s room had a simple beige wall and tan carpet. His room was illuminated with pink from his Christmas lights that dangled off of his black curtains. It gave the room a warm and inviting feeling that Komaeda relished in, making him wish he could sit in there forever.

“Ha, thank you, I-I know it’s a little weird, but I’ve always been kinda fond of the color pink-well pink and green to be exact.” He stated with a small, awkward smile as he gestured to his green bed covers.

“I like pink as well, it’s a rather pretty color.”

Hinata smiled at him in gratitude, expelling his embarrassment over his room and he pulled over a bean bag and a chair from his under his desk.

“Welp, do you wanna get started, and you can have the bean bag, it’s really comfy.”

“No No, I don’t need that you should take it.” Komaeda answered quickly, not knowing what to do with himself. He hated sitting down at people’s houses, it made him feel so vulnerable.

Hinata seemed to take notice of his distress and pushed the bean bag against the wall, so they were sitting across for each other rather than next to, hoping it would alleviate his stress.

“Guests should have the comfiest seat.” Hinata said as he plopped down on his swivel chair.

“O..Okay.”

Komaeda sat down, stiff as a board and put his hands on his knee caps.

They both sat in a few moments of quiet, the only noise was the sound of the washer running across the hall and Hinata tapping a small rhythm on his knees.

Hinata spontaneously hopped up, grabbed a notebook and pencil from his desk and sat back down.  

“So.” He said as he adjusted in his seat, “what do you think the meaning of life is?”

Komaeda wasn’t very shocked that he asked the question so forwardly, after hanging out with him he has realized how much Hinata isn’t very good at biting his tongue.

“Um, I don’t know. What do you think?”

Hinata made a noise that said he was thinking and closed his eyes. “Well, I would presume, seeing how many churches there are in this town, that a majority of the class would have their meaning be correspondent with their religion. Soooo…” Hinata trailed off, possibly finishing his rambling in his head.

“I have absolutely no idea.” He concluded.

Komaeda slowly blinked in a quiet thought before speaking, “well, if you were to lie, what would you say?”

“Probably something like family and friends.”

“Well, let’s just do that.” Komaeda suggested hoping this frustrating assignment would leave his mind.

“No, I think we should actually try to find it somehow.”

Komaeda’s smile twitched which, to his dismay, did not go unnoticed by Hinata. “What’s wrong?” He said with visible confusion.

Komaeda pushed his hands forward and laughed, “Oh no, nothing at all. Just don’t really want to write a paper on it and all.”

Hinata looked completely unconvinced and restated his question, “No really what’s wrong? If you don’t feel comfortable answering then don’t, I just doubt you don’t want to write the page.” Hinata said, accurately depicting Komaeda’s lie.

Komaeda stayed silent for a few moments then quietly muttered, “No it’s fine.”

Hinata frowned and was about to say something else, but his Mom knocked and opened the door with pink lemonade in her hands.

“Here you boys go.” They both said thanks and placed the drinks by their sides, on the ground.

“Well, we have an entire semester to complete this assignment, so why don’t we just play some videogames?”

“Uh yes-sure.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

A few hours passed and Hinata groaned and fell onto his back. “How have I lost every time?” He shouted in exasperation.

Komaeda let out a genuine laugh, “I’m sorry Hinata-kun, there’s only one person who was able to beat me when I played with her and-“He paused and widened his eyes in what looked like shock.

Silence cascaded through the room like sand sifting through the wind. Hinata started at him with concern as he saw Komaeda lips harshly twitching and his face turning deathly pale.

Hinata immediately slid next to him and grabbed his shoulder, “Hey! Are you okay? You’re really pale.” He exclaimed with worry.

Komaeda tried to speak but his throat felt as heavy as lead and he could hardly breathe.

“I-I,” He chocked, “I have to go home now.” Komaeda quickly stood up on wobbly feet and made his way to the door.

“Komaeda wait!”

Komaeda walked through the hallway and down the stairs towards the door.

“Wait Komaeda.” Hinata yelled while trailing behind him. “I can’t let you leave like this, let me help you!”

Komaeda reached for the handle and tried opening the door but Hinata placed his hand firmly on the door to hold it shut. Komaeda closed his eyes and swallowed before speaking again quietly, “I’m sorry,” He gasped, “I need to go.”

Hinata, without saying a word, slowly removed his hand from the door and watched in silence as Komaeda walked down his steps with trembling hands. The light drizzle had remained a light drizzle and calmly pattered down against the pavement, not making a sound yet causing a mist that shrouded the area, concealing it all but the street lights. Komaeda kept walking and dissipated into the mist without a sound. 

Hinata felt his heart beat rapidly for a moment at the thought that he may never see him again. As though Komaeda was a siren without a song and he was caught within his spell, he attempted to follow him in a trance, eyes glazed over and panicked. He set one foot out the door, then the other, and just when he was going to run after him, his Father pulled up into the drive way, shocking Hinata as the headlights peeked through the dense air.


	4. A Dancing Clematis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, enjoy the chapter and I would deeply appreciate your thoughts if you would leave them <3

Komaeda was walking home in the darkness, regretting his decisions to leave with every bit of his being. He was out of his house, there wasn’t a locked door, a locked window, a locked gate. He was stuck in the open trying to navigate his way to the bus stop.

He detested himself in that moment. No matter how calm the wind or rain, each drop felt like needles against his ice-cold skin.

His looked up from the ground when he saw light reflecting against the wet sidewalk. The bus stop light was lit and Komaeda hurriedly walked to it. When he grabbed the light pole and slid his hand down, dragging down the water with a squeak that Komaeda cringed at from the loud sound that echoed into the silent night.

A bus rolled to a stop and opened up for him, Komaeda looked at the man as he boarded on and knew it was the same guy from last time. He dropped his total into his hand and told him his destination. As Komaeda walked, still shaking from the cold, he counted each seat and sat in the middle row next to the window.

 _I shouldn’t have done that._ He had told Hinata what to do, stormed out, let his emotions pour through the cracks. It was normally as though there was a dam that blocked his memories that he intentionally put there. He was scared that his already brittle mind would break if he let these emotions spill out. But it was too late.

_What would she say?_

* * *

 

He closed his door and leaned against it and sucked in a quick breathe before wandering with no feet to his stairs.

 _What is he doing here?_ Hinata thought in panic. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?” His mom asked with furrowed brows, distracting Hinata from leaving as there was knock on the door.

Hinata’s eyes shot wide, but he quickly morphed them into a glare. “What the hell is he doing here?” He asked in angry disbelief.

“O-Oh that, he called me a few times and said how much he misses us and p-promises not to drink anymore and how he wants to care for us-“

“I don’t need him to care for me! I can very much handle myself!” Hinata shouted and hurried upstairs as his mom rushed by him from the second knock on the door that seems to shake the once stable house.

He slammed his door shut and rushed to rip his lights off of the curtains, as he did so some of the bulbs broke off with a spark and fell onto the floor. He ignored the damages, threw them into his closet and slammed it shut. As he heard footsteps outside his door he grabbed his journal, slid it under the bed, ran over to his desk to sit down and made it seem as though he had simply been reading.

A light knock resonated through the room and made Hinata jump and pull his finger harshly on the paper, resulting in a paper cut. He disregarded it and wiped the blood on his pants.

“Hajime?” A deep voice called out from the darkness of the hallway that seeped in once he cracked the door open.

Hinata cleared his throat, _be strong._

“What?” He responded boldly. “Oh Hajime, don’t be like that. I’m coming to live with you and your Mother, this is a very nice town.” He said with such a sincere smile that it made Hinata sick.

His Dad looked around the room and saw the two lemonade cups on the ground, a fair enough distance apart to insinuate that there were two drinking.

“Two lemonades? Did you have a friend over?”

“Was just thirsty.” Hinata replied curtly.

 

 

 

Komaeda walked out of the bus with a jaded mind and towards his house around the corner. Despite his exhaustion he moved quickly and once he arrived he slammed the door behind him. A dark house greeted him, in which Komaeda scowled as he forgot to leave some lights on. Everything around him seemed almost alive, his eyes tricking him into thinking everything shaded was something to fear. He reached to his left and smacked all of the light switches lighting up the area around him.

In silence he went to the kitchen and grabbed an orange that he peeled as he went upstairs. How badly he wanted to just plop in bed and fall into a calm sleep, but his mind would not let him sleep dirty. Before he stripped from his clothes he harshly pulled on his window and few times to where his fingers throbbed, assuring himself that it was locked, then went to get in the shower.

His night ended when he made his bed and stepped in, falling into his fluffy pillow that encased the side of his face like a hug.

 

 

Komaeda woke up to a throbbing headache that caused him to slam his eyes shut. His whole body felt light and unreal as he laid in his bed. As he took his hand and ran it down his left forearm, he realized how sweaty he was and with a disdainful sigh, he accepted that he must have a fever.

He knew the only way to alleviate this was to get up, take a shower, get some ibuprofen, and sleep the day away.

He hobbled out of his bed and held onto the wall as he walked over to the shower. After almost falling over when removing his clothes, he managed to get in and immediately sat down on the small bench. He sighed deeply as he turned on the shower and winced when the cold hit him as he drew his arm back. While he was waiting for the shower to heat up, he laid his head back against the shower wall and let his thoughts run.

_If I’m sick tomorrow I don’t think I’ll mind missing school, I have no right to face Hinata-kun after what I did._

He opened his eyes to small streams of steam lacing up to the ceiling and proceeded to shower.

 

 

After finishing he took care of the medication and got back onto bed, immediately falling asleep from exhaustion.

After what Komaeda felt was mere minutes, he woke back up many hours later. However, he felt much worse than before. _Maybe I should actually take my temperature._ He suggested to himself disdainfully. As long as it wasn’t above one hundred and five degrees Fahrenheit he was fine.

He attempted to roll out of bed, but fell onto the floor with a painful yelp. When he tried to get up the ceiling spun and he opted to roll onto his back and watch it. He didn’t know what time it was but by feeling the sun rays pound against his skull he presumed it was the late afternoon.

No matter how much he wanted to get up he couldn’t bring his body to stand. His old t-shirt clung to his skin from his sweat and he felt as though he were suffocating. Suddenly, his door-bell rang, causing his eyes to sluggishly open. Soon, the ring was followed by a knock.

He couldn’t bring himself to stand so he dozed back asleep despite his mental efforts to stay awake.

“Komaeda!” He heard a voice shout and a sudden shaking of his shoulder. The shock of being touched made him jump up and hit the voices head with his own.

Komaeda saw a blur of brown jolt back and grab at its head before letting out a groan.

“K-Komaeda.” The voice called out while rubbing its head.

It was then that Komaeda knew whom the voice belonged to and promptly sat up and spoke with a slur. “H-Hinata-kun.” A pause. “I’m terribly sorry, but I don’t think I’m in much of a suitable condition for visitors. Forgi—

“I’m not visiting you! You were absent so I came to check on you!” Hinata exclaimed making Komaeda’s head shrill as Hinata reached forward to touch his forehead.

Komaeda leaned into the cool touch and put all of his weight onto Hinata’s palm. He thought as he laid there, _absent, that means it’s already Monday?_ A few disfigured memories seeped into his head of him waking up and checking the time on his bed-side clock periodically.

“You’re burning! I need to call somebody!” He said while standing up and turning around, not noticing Komaeda’s body flop to the ground with a thud and a groan.

As Hinata reached in his pocket Komaeda grabbed his ankle and pleaded, “Please, d-don’t call anyone, this happens often, I’ll be fine.”

“Where are your parents?” Hinata asked ignoring Komaeda’s protests for him to just leave it. He glanced down at Komaeda’s hand around his ankle and saw several band aids wrapped around his fingers. He would have kept looking but Komaeda let go of his ankle and laid his head down on its side, resting against the cold laminate floor. “Not home, on vacation.” He responded with an exhale.

“Then I should take you to the doctors, I can’t just—“

“Hinata.” He interjected. “I will be fine with just a wet cloth.” Komaeda mumbled as he slowly shut his eyes, wanting nothing more than to just sleep.

As he was beginning to doze off a sudden pair of hands grabbed at his hips and lifted him, causing him to yelp and jolt back, thus making Hinata yelp and drop him back onto the floor.

Hinata was quick to jump forward and grab his shoulder and ask if he was okay. “Y-Yes I’m fine, no need to worry yourself I can stand on my own.”

“I don’t think—“

Komaeda put his palms on the ground and tried to stand up before falling back down, expecting a hard floor, but was proved wrong when Hinata’s arms shot out and caught him.

Komaeda paused and looked up with delirious eyes. Hinata sighed at him and gave him a look that said _what did I tell you?_

Before Komaeda could stop himself, he let out a small giggle that made Hinata’s grip on him falter. It was a raspy laugh that you could hardly hear, but it still had all the same effect on his surroundings. The room seemed to glow like the moon shining down on the Earth. After laughing, he opened his crinkled eyes and saw Hinata looking at the ground with a cherry red face.

“Um, Hinata-kun are you okay?” Komaeda asked, concerned about his odd behavior. Despite how perceptive Komaeda was, he was awfully dense when it came to feelings. Hinata coughed and swallowed before responding once his fever-ridden cheeks calmed down.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Just before Komaeda could say more, Hinata wrapped his arm underneath his knees and hoisted him up, bridal style. The sudden movement made Komaeda’s stomach lurch and his head fall back against Hinata’s chest.

Thankfully, for Hinata, Komaeda was too tired to recognize what the pounding against his head was. He placed him down on the bed and covered him with the bedding that fell onto the floor. Komaeda stared at him, trying to keep his eyelids opened which were practically begging to close.

“Go to sleep Komaeda.” Hinata stated while placed the back of his hand onto Komaeda’s cheek. As he brought his hand down Komaeda’s cheek he observed how soft it was against his hand. Komaeda leaned into his touch with a content smile on his lips, eyes slowly closing.

Suddenly, his eyes cracked open again, this time with a regretful tinge, “H-Hinata-kun, I’m so sorry for” He paused and licked his dry lips “the other day, I was so rude.” He muttered, trailing off on the last word and leaning into his touch as he fell asleep. His now frowning face refined into a blank one.

Hinata frowned in thought, _what did he do wrong?_ He thought before remembering how Komaeda ran off from his house the other day off. He let out a laugh, _so that’s what he considers rude huh?_

Rather than leaving and coming back, Hinata decided to stay by his side until he woke again. He gently lowered Komaeda’s head down onto the pillow and walked over to the curtains to close them but paused when he saw red swipes of blood on the white window. He imagined as though it someone pulled down so hard and incessantly yanked until their fingers mashed against the window and bled.

Hinata frowned in concern and looked over towards the sleeping boy. _Just where are his damn parents?_

A few hours later, Hinata noticed that Komaeda’s fever was breaking. His cheeks were no longer hot and he was profusely sweating. The room was completely dark, save for a small candle Hinata lit with the matches he found on the bedside table.

The room was stuffy and dense, as though the windows had never been opened and the room was left stale. Tired of sitting in the heavy room, he made his way over to the window to open it, unlatching the lock and avoiding the bloody marks, he pulled it upwards. He let out a sigh and relished in the breeze that flowed into the room and cascaded the curtains so when when he turned around to look at Komaeda, he looked like sleeping princess.

Although the moon wasn’t showing, it seeped through the clouds and let off a romantic glow that seemed to shine directly into the bedroom. Hinata continued to gaze at Komaeda who’s previously pained face relaxed into one of calmness.

_I’ve only known him for a week, yet I feel something so strong with him. I want to understand him more, but I’m not even sure if it’s possible._

Abruptly, the candle blew out with a strong gust of wind and the wind that shot in seemed to suck back out and pull the curtains against the screen, throwing the room into almost complete darkness.

Komaeda was now sitting up, still and not saying a word. The lovely atmosphere Hinata previously felt was replaced with one of malice and fear. As though something can be both menacing and terrified at the same time.

A completely calm voice spoke through the darkness, sneaking up on Hinata like the tide does with the ocean sand, he knew it was coming but it still caused him to jolt from the cold. “Why?” It became silent again as Hinata pondered his question in discomfort. _Why what?_

“Why did you open my window?” He asked with a small tilt of his shadowy-head.

Oh how Hinata wished he could see his expression. “W-Well, it was so stuffy in here and-“

“Close it please.” He interrupted softly.

“U-Um, okay but-“

“No questions, please close it!” He shouted making Hinata jump and run to the window to slam it shut, ignoring the blood stains this time. Without even being told to do so, Hinata locked it and left it how it once was.

There was a silence that bellowed in the room and the only thing that could be heard was the wind blowing against the curves of the house which produced music that you could tell had no conductor.

“Is-Is your fever better?” Hinata stuttered out, trying to dissolve the tension in the room.

“Yes it is, thank you so much for your hospitality, I’m terribly sorry to ask you, but could you turn on the light I don’t really like the dark.”

“Yes, of course.” Hinata answered turning on the light switch, expecting to be greeted by a disheveled and manic Komaeda, but instead greeted by a calm and healed one.

“Thank you so much.”

Komaeda looked over at the clock and saw how late it was. “Oh, it’s rather late you should get home so your parents don’t worry. Have you eaten?”

Hinata swallowed, trying to push down the lump in his throat as though hoping his anxiety would get pushed down with it.

“Um no, my Mom said she was going to cook something tonight and if I leave soon I should be home in time.”

Komaeda extended his smile and climbed out of bed, “Okay, well you should get home then, you don’t want to leave your mother waiting. I really didn’t deserve your help, thank you so much.”

Hinata smiled and rolled his shoulders to crack his back, relieving some tension. ”No need to thank me, I’m just glad you’re feeling better.” Despite wanting nothing more than to leave, he still offered more comfort to Komaeda. “Are you sure you’re okay now?”

“Yes, I believe I’m fine now.” He replied as he opened the door and walked down the stairs, Hinata following suit.

Komaeda opened the door and stepped out on the porch behind him.

“Goodbye Hinata-kun, travel safely.” He shouted with a wave, trying to send his sound over the wind. Hinata responded with a wave and walked off of his yard.

Komaeda’s smile dropped from his face and he looked at his flowers, his clematis calmly waved in the weather, seeming to enjoy the stormy wind with its dark purple petals that almost blended into the night.

Komaeda reached down and touched the soft petal causing it to stop its dancing. The petal was held still under his touch and he soon removed his finger, thus causing the petal to once again dance in the wind.

Without saying a word he went back into his house and closed and locked his door with a click.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, things are gonna start picking up soon I promise. Love you guys and thank you so much for reading this far :)


	5. Landing on the Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you all enjoy this chapter :)

Two weeks had passed since Komaeda was sick. It was the beginning of spring and despite the cold weather and consistent rain, there was an occasional colorful pop of a flower that sprouted in the nearby brush.

As people would walk down the streets you could see them walking and admiring the little bursts of color. Some so much they almost walked into the ongoing traffic.

Hinata and Komaeda continued to spend time with one another, Komaeda remained his normal self at school and never mentioned the interaction between the two of them throughout the weeks. It took Hinata a few days to regain his composure around Komaeda, but he presumed that since Komaeda was acting normal then he should as well.

They both sat next to each other in homeroom and chatted away about frivolous topics that neither of them were particularly interested in. The only reason they spoke of these things was to talk with each other.

People at school were asking less and less about why Hinata was still hanging around Komaeda, they saw how futile it was to separate the two.

Some, however, were still persistent on the matter.

Souda, the shark-teethed boy gave them a side eye. Watching their conversation as though to understand why they were conversing in the first place.

Komaeda gradually stopped speaking all together in discomfort of Souda’s adamant stare.

Hinata rolled his eyes and called out to him, “Hey, Souda, what’s up?” The boy looked around as though trying to pretend that--despite the painfully obvious circumstances, he was in fact, _not_ staring at them.

“Uh, nothing dude, how about you?” He replied with as much of a casual demeanor he could muster.

“Oh, thought you wanted something.” Hinata said curtly before going back to talking to Komaeda. A blonde haired boy with soft freckles saw the interaction and looked at Souda who only shrugged in response.

The teacher soon walked in with a clap and directed the students to their seats. Komaeda and Hinata paused their talking and turned towards the teacher. “Okay everyone, I’m pulling out the flashcards with your names on them and when I call your name you will all tell me something you are looking forward to this spring.”

The laughing and mumbling in the class resumed in discussion over the activity and Mikan, in the corner of the room, threw her head down on the desk with a thud and squeaked. Sonia, as the positive person she was, patted her on her trembling back and offered some un-heard words of encouragement.

“Okay class, be ready with a response.”

She shuffled through the cards and pointed at Gundamn to tell her when to stop. The class grew impatient as he looked at the hamsters on his shoulders and asked them when he should make the call. Someone in the back shouted at him and he sputtered quickly shouting out a robust “Halt!”

Chisa-Sensei grabbed the card and shouted out, “Mikan-chan!” Who in response, gasped. How unfortunate she had to be picked first.

“Well, what do you think Mikan-chan? What are you looking forward to?”

“Um, I-I think I’ll like the—Uh, the warmer weather.” She said meekly, causing some students to roll their eyes because, well—it really doesn’t get much warmer.

“Alright, next! Mikan-chan, tell me where to stop.”

She hardly started shuffling the cards when Mikan exclaimed, “Stop!” and threw her face into her hands to resume her hiding.

“Ah, Hinata-kun, how about you?”

Hinata touched his finger to his lip and lightly pulled down in contemplation. “Maybe the time change, so it’s lighter longer.” The class all nodded in agreement at his fair reply and resumed waiting for their own turns.

“Stop.” Hinata told Chisa after she flipped it a few times. It landed on Pekoyama.

“How about you?”

“Um.” She said while touching her chin. “I deeply enjoy the bunnies you see once in a while. They’re so soft and pretty.”

The class nodded, knowing she would say that after long knowing of her obsession with Gundam’s hamsters. This all continued for around fifteen minutes until the teacher looked through her cards and told the class that she had called to everyone.

Hinata’s eyebrows shot down and he looked over to Komaeda who was looking down at his desk with a bored expression.

 _She didn’t call on him, did she accidentally miss him?_ He thought in concern. Without putting much thought to it he raised his hand, but before the teacher could notice him, Komaeda was gently touching Hinata’s arm that was resting on his desk. Hinata looked back over to him and saw a pleading look in his eyes and shake of his head. The look in Komaeda’s eyes made Hinata think of himself as a child being told to not chew on the plastic wrapper of a toy.

The look in his eyes made Hinata put his hand down instantly while maintaining his eye contact with the nervous boy.

“Why?” Hinata asked quietly as to not let anyone hear them.

“That’s just how it is around here.” He responded with indifference like he’s used to this kind of treatment. Hinata felt his blood boil at what he said. As he was about to say more, Komaeda looked away and towards the teacher who called for everyone to pay attention.

Hinata tuned it all out, seething at what had just occurred, _how dare they treat him like that? And it’s been going on for long? I’ve never seen Komaeda treat anyone badly and this is what they give him?_

 

 

 

After class ended, the two boys were walking down the hallway. Komaeda was looking to his side, at what seemed like nothing to Hinata, but everything to Komaeda. Just as Hinata was going to touch his shoulder and ask if he was okay Komaeda turned around and spoke.

“Can I show you something after school?”

Hinata’s hand shot back and his eyes opened wide. It was such an odd and vague question. It’s only natural to fear something said in a way like that. Although Hinata knew it wouldn’t be bad he still had an odd sensation in his stomach that said otherwise.

“Yeah sure, but you’ve gotta at least give me hints on what it is.” He answered with a chuckle. Komaeda smiled and laughed as well before looking at the floor and speaking.

“I want to show you an incredible place. I can’t give too many details because that would ruin it!” He exclaimed with his raspy voice.

Hinata laughed again, “Well, I’m looking forward to it then.” Komaeda smiled at him as though saying thank you and continued to stare at him.

An emotion swelled in Hinata’s chest that he felt like would stream up his throat and pour out of his mouth. An overwhelming emotion that he’s felt around him before. A thought shot through his head that he needs to be careful with every step he takes as to not disturb the path of his future that had Komaeda within it.

Komaeda turned into his next class and grabbed the white door frame as he said goodbye, snapping Hinata out of his fantasy world causing him to quickly wave and keep walking.

Out of the blue, Souda and Kuzuryuu came out from behind him and grabbed his shoulder.

“So, you have the hots for Komaeda huh?” Souda said whilst raising his eyebrows.

Hinata sputtered. “What! What gave you that impression?”

Souda took his hand off his shoulder and held his palms forward in playful defense. “I’m joking obviously, geeze—I mean who would possible be into that guy.” He laughed and Kuzuryuu smirked beside him.

“Wow.” Hinata rolled his eyes. “What a brilliant thing to say to a guy who’s his friend.” He sped up his pace, not wanting to deal with him any longer.

“Well—I mean, come on dude! You have to admit he’s a little weird.”

“And what exactly is your definition of weird Souda?” Before Souda could answer Hinata spoke again. “The world isn’t so orderly and perfect, you may think it’s odd but I can guarantee not everyone else does.”

“Hey Hinata, calm down we’re sorry, we were just kidding, alright?” Kuzuryuu said while slowing down, giving up on keeping Hinata’s pace (Which was most likely a result in the drastic difference of leg height, but he would never admit it).

Hinata simply tuned them out and kept walking. After what the teacher did, he wouldn’t tolerate anything.

 

 

 

 

The day was soon over and Komaeda and Hinata were both walking to each other’s classrooms. They ran into each other halfway and made their way outside.

It was silent as they walked, but neither of them minded. It had been particularly windy that day and Komaeda’s hair was flying everywhere. It would constantly fly into his own mouth and he would spit and spit until he gave up and pulled it out with a glance towards Hinata. Hinata laughed at his antics and looked at his moppy-head, but paused when he saw a crumbled up ball in it.

He frowned and took it out, unwrapping it to read the word _fag._ Komaeda soon looked over at him and laughed once he saw what he was holding, a laugh that most would perceive as genuine enjoyment.

“How can you laugh at this? Everyone treats you like a pile of shit and you don’t mind? Because I mind it, I really do.”

Komaeda looked surprised at his outburst, but quickly giggled it off before speaking softly. “I don’t mind because I probably deserve it.”

“But why?”

“Because I’m trash! Therefore, I laughed because I thought of myself as the garbage can for the trash. I just laughed at how ironic it was.” He said while finishing it with another laugh.

Hinata was just about to yell at him how he wasn’t trash, when Komaeda suddenly stopped at the edge of the forest. Hinata hadn’t realized how long they’d been walking and halted to a stop alongside him.

“It’s always tough walking in, but the place I want to take you to isn’t too far in.” He said while biting his lip in unease.

Hinata looked away from him and into the forest, a chill ran down his spine at what looked like the entrance to a hellish place. It was so dark in there as a result of the many trees blocking out the little light they had to begin with.

Komaeda took the first step and Hinata followed suit, putting the trash in his pocket. 

They once again walked in silence, but it wasn’t actually silence. You could practically hear all of the vegetation taking in deep breaths as they walked, taking what extra carbon dioxide they could as though no one ever entered and air was running scarce.

“Almost there.” He said with a soft smile.

The walked for a few more minutes and Komaeda stopped behind a small hill that was blocking their vision.

“Okay now, you should close your eyes. It looks a lot nicer when you open them to the sight and the sight only—so here, take my hand.”

Hinata didn’t see him as the ‘take my hand’ kind of guy, but he assumed he was just caught up in the moment.

He closed his eyes and grabbed his hand and followed along. With his eyes covered he could feel everything so vividly and he soon felt something glowing behind his eyes lids as though the sun appeared. A bright white light that made him want to open his eyes and never shut them again.

“Okay… now open them!” He said with excitement.

Hinata opened his eyes and lightly gasped at what was in front of him.

A bright weeping cherry tree that seemed to illuminate everything surrounding it, embracing them in its soft glow. It wasn’t like the sun, no, it was too soft to be the sun. It was the moon, the missing moon that all look for was here the whole time.

Compared to the town this was one of the brightest things Hinata had seen since moving here. It filled him with so much joy as though the light charged him like a battery would. Its pink petals swooped down and touched the floor in such a graceful manner he was reminded of a ballerina. He had no idea a tree like this even existed.

He turned over to Komaeda in awe and saw him staring at it with such passionate eyes that Hinata couldn’t speak. Komaeda looked at him with a smile. “Well, isn’t it pretty?”

“Pretty is an understatement.”

Komaeda laughed and walked over to it signaling for Hinata to come along as well. Hinata watched Komaeda’s hand as it grabbed one of the streams of leaves and gently pulled down. A he pulled down, Hinata saw small pieces of left over clear nail polish on Komaeda’s nails. For reasons unbeknownst to him, this nail polish seemed like such a big revelation of his personality. The soft pink against his skin and partially shiny nails made Komaeda look even more beautiful than he was before in Hinata’s eyes.

Hinata continued to watch his hand as he spoke. “How did you find this?”

Komaeda released the petals, softly touched the trunk and answered. “I actually planted this around ten years ago with my parents. We all loved gardening an awful lot. Ever since I can remember we walked through the forest and admired all of the plants together.” Komaeda stopped speaking and frowned. He clenched his fist over the trunk a few times before continuing his story. “We saw this empty space surrounded by trees and my mom randomly suggested, “Why don’t we plant a weeping cherry tree?” It was her favorite tree, so my dad and I weren’t too surprised when she suggested it.” He laughed out as he looked over to Hinata. “So we planted it and watched it grow together.”

Komaeda removed his hand from the tree and instead sat down against the base of the trunk. Hinata paused for a moment and watched as Komaeda gently laid his head against the tree and closed his thick eyelashes. Without much thought, he sat down next to him. Knees touching.

“That’s really lovely Komaeda. It’s a beautiful tree.”

Komaeda smiled at him. “Thank you, that means a lot.”

The strong wind blew some more of the pink petals off and onto the ground, painting it with its exquisite beauty.

It was once again silent and Komaeda took note of how often it got quiet between them. Normally he would get antsy in the silence, but with Hinata, he rather enjoyed it. Instead of speaking of frivolous stuff, they could both think of what to say next.

“Why did you show me this?” Hinata asked abruptly, interrupting Komaeda’s tranquil thoughts.

Komaeda looked at him with confusion at his question. “Well, why wouldn’t I? I thought you should see it is all.”

Hinata laughed at his facial expression. “Thank you for showing me.”

“No need to thank me.”

They both sat there, making idle conversation. There was a nagging feeling in Hinata’s mind that wanted him to tell Komaeda something. He knew what the feeling was, but he couldn’t say it. Although the moment felt appropriate, he felt as though he were finally getting to know Komaeda. He couldn’t screw things up now.

 

 

 

The sun was setting and the wind, weeping tree, and forest all grew eerily still. Komaeda was resting his head against the tree with his eyes shut. Hinata couldn’t tell if he were asleep or just resting. Rather than joining him, he just watched him rest. He wished he were a painter so he could paint this moment, well he thought about taking a picture, but he knew that’d be rather creepy. Although painting him is quite a similar thing to do.

Abruptly, Komaeda opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, seeming to take notice of how the sun was a bit farther down than he would prefer. “How long was I out? I’m so terribly sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“It’s fine.” Hinata took out his phone. “Its 6:30.”

Komaeda nodded and ran his hand through his hair. Several petals fell out and Hinata laughed and saw one more in his hair. He stepped closer to Komaeda and took it out, getting close to his face. They both knew it was closer than necessary, but nothing happened as Hinata stepped back and dropped the petal to the ground.

“Well, we should probably go.” He suggested and Hinata nodded in agreement. They left the area and soon the soft petals under their feet were replaced by crunchy dead leaves that were blowing around from the wind. As they both continued to walk, Hinata kept glancing back at the tree, Komaeda soon noticed this and waited for what he assumed would be a question from Hinata.

“How often do you come here?”

“A couple times a week.”

Hinata hummed in acknowledgment and said nothing more on the matter. They both continued their walk until they reached the bus stop. Just as they made it to the bench, the bus turned the corner, setting a timer on their conversation.

“Hinata-kun, before you go, can you please not tell anyone about the tree. Please?”

Hinata smiled and turned to face him. “Of course not, I won’t tell anyone. Promise.” Komaeda smiled and waved once Hinata turned around and got onto the bus.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Before the sun succumbed to the moon, Hinata made it home and immediately went into his room. The sound of his parents talking with urgency carried through the halls, up the stairs and under the crack of his door. He didn’t know what they were talking about nor did he want to.

Soon the speaking stopped and there was a knock on his door. Without the chance to answer both his Mom and Dad entered the room with a grave look on their faces.

“What?” He asked with anger lacing his voice.

His mom and dad looked at each other when his mom spoke. “Honey.” She paused and swallowed. “We are worried about you. You keep coming home late—“

“It’s 6:00” Hinata interrupted.

“Don’t interrupt your mother!” His father scolded with a firm finger.

“A-And you only seem to have one _friend_ and no hobbies.”

Hinata stood up from his chair and it slid out from the force. “Hold on –what do you mean by _friend?”_ He said as his throat got tight from holding back a yell.

“W-Well, your father and I went to a neighbor’s house and they said your white haired friend is not a good person and that you should avoid him.”

Hinata squeezed his fists until they shook. “God how I’m tired of hearing that! At school and now at home! He is a _great_ person and I won’t let other people’s opinions change my mind!”

“Stop shouting at your moth—“

“Once you act like a proper parent you can tell me what to do.”

The room grew quiet after his statement. Not a word was said as his father stared at him directly into his eyes with a blank face. Abruptly Hinata’s ears pounded as he thought of everything hiding in his room that he didn’t want his dad to find. Each thing pulsing like an alarm in Hinata’s head warning him of the consequences of his Father seeing them.

“Hinata, I’m going to be better now. I am changed. I promise.”

The room got blurry with Hinata frustration and tears burned behind his eyes at his response. Before he knew it he was shouting.

“Get out! Get out! Get out!” He screamed as he rushed to his door, forcing his parents to move back until they were out of his room and he slammed his door, causing his room to shake.

Hinata locked the door, stumbled back, and ran his hands through his hair, his eyes stung but he willed the tears away.

 He knew that his Father had never directly hurt him. His neglectfulness was done in a more, subtle way. Not following through with anything, rolling his eyes at an ask for help, spending his time at home drinking five beers a day, and neglecting to pay the bills and getting them kicked out of their previous home. Now he was back, and it would start all over again. He didn’t want it, his time in his new town was going so well.

_I want to see Komaeda._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am unsure of when I will be updating the next chapter as my family and I are currently undergoing a foreclosure. We have around three weeks to get out and my schedule is jammed packed with tons of packing and homework. I am sure it wont be long for it to be up, however, I am sure there will be many surprises during our moving process lol. Anyways, thank you all for reading and I would really appreciate a review. Love you guys <3


	6. The Frame of a Picture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHH, I am so sorry for the crazy delay of this chapter! My family is finally settled in our new house and the day after I attempted to write but found out I had lost my charger and searched for a while, but finally gave up and ordered a new one. Again so sorry for the delay, I really hope you enjoy this chapter! <3

They continued visiting the tree together for the rest of the week. On the days Komaeda went to the tree, which were Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Hinata attended alongside him. They thoroughly enjoyed their time together and Hinata felt they grew closer by the minute.

Nothing extravagant needed to be revealed for them to deepen their friendship. It was the little things they noticed about each other. Like how Komaeda noticed that Hinata is a very cleanly person. Whenever Hinata would open his front pocket Komaeda could see wipes and two mini hand-sanitizer bottles. One with the scent of cranberry and one that was called ocean wave. He had always wanted to smell the ocean wave one. He’d never smelled the ocean before.

Hinata soon became aware that every Monday, without fail, Komaeda would come to school with nails freshly coated with clear nail polish. He had concluded that his reasoning for doing so wasn’t exactly to look nice, it was to stop his nail biting habit. Hinata would see him lift his hand up to his teeth and bite onto a single nail, but he would never fully bite it, he’d bring it back down before he’d do anything. The nail polish was there to merely remind him of the habit he was striving to break.

Hinata also observed that he must have had a habit of grabbing and pulling at things when stressed as well. Some days Komaeda would come to school with a patch in his eyebrow from stress that would cause him to subconsciously pull them out. He never looked bad though, you could just tell he struggled with it is all.

Whenever that happened, Hinata made a habit of asking whether or not he was okay. But he always knew the answer to his question. _Yes I’m wonderful, why do you ask?_ Despite knowing Komaeda would never cease to answer his question in that manner, he asked just to make sure Komaeda knew he cared.

“Komaeda.” Hinata called out of the blue in the middle of busy work.

Komaeda turned his head away from his assignment with a delay of his eyes that soon followed suit and flickered over.

“Yes, Hinata-kun?”

“How do you feel about seeing a movie with me this Saturday?” Hinata asked with a hopeful smile. Komaeda stopped to think, as though trying to search for what could possibly be in his schedule. But both of them knew he was completely free.

“I would love that. What time?” Komaeda answered.

“Well, does around 3:00 tomorrow work for you?”

Before Komaeda could answer, Souda and Ibuki popped up behind them and exclaimed a hearty. “Can we go to the movies too?” Souda stopped talking but Ibuki continued. “It’s been so long and Ibuki wants to go, I wanna see something with fires and explosions and—“

Souda cut her off with a question. “How about you invite a chick and we could do like a double date thing.” He finished with a wink.

Hinata looked over to Komaeda, whom was looking at his paper as though to make his presence invisible, then everywhere in the room before answering. “I don’t know Souda, I’m not really up to that—besides I was inviting Komaeda before you walked up and –“

“Eh, I don’t mind that he’ll be there, it’s okay. You said three right? We’ll meet you there.” Souda finished while grabbing Ibuki by the arm and pulling her away with a yelp before the teacher could walk over and properly scold them.

Hinata’s eye was twitching at the inhumanely fast interaction and he let his head fall onto the desk with a thud. As though to check for a pulse, Komaeda reached over and tapped him with the eraser of his pencil. Hinata didn’t stir and Komaeda smiled as he pulled back and instead ripped a piece of his paper off his page, rolled it up, and reached back over to slowly and shakily push it into Hinata’s ear.

The paper barely grazed his ear when he yelped and almost fell out of his chair. He smacked his palm over his ear and looked at Komaeda like a kicked puppy. Komaeda began to laugh softly, which instead gradually increased into a laughter so robust he threw his arms over his stomach in pain. Hinata was soon laughing as well, but trying hard not to. “Hey.” A laugh. “It’s not that funny.” He giggled before he was also fully laughing with the boy who caused this ordeal in the first place.

Soon the whole class was looking over at them laughing and having a good time. Sonia was smiling and clapping whilst others were just flat out confused.

“Would you both stop your ugly-piggish laughing, some people are trying to work here.”

They continued to laugh despite her remark.

It was moments like these where it felt like the world slowed down on it axis. Everything seemed just right. The loom of time had stopped momentarily and all they could think about was how they never wanted to stop laughing. Even when their bodies could no longer continue to laugh, their minds kept trying to push it forth doing everything in its power to continue the moment of sheer bliss.

They soon finished with a wipe of the eyes and time once again ticking in their heads.

“Hinata-kun, I haven’t laughed like that in so long.”

Hinata smiled at his honesty. “Neither have I.”

 

 

Hinata was walking down the hall by himself, prepared for Souda to run up behind him and grab him by the shoulder. Sure enough, Souda ran behind him and did just that.

“You ready for this math test?”

“I think so.”

Souda was about to say something about how unprepared he was when Hinata quickly spoke before he could utter a syllable.

“If you do go to the movies with me this weekend, you’d better not treat Komaeda badly, or else.” He threatened with a searing glare.

Souda chuckled. “What the hell man? Obviously I won’t, as long as he doesn’t act weird and make me uncomfortable.”

“Must I really say it again? Your definition of weird is guaranteed to be different from others.” Hinata repeated with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

_My eyes are going to roll out of my head in this damn town._

“Come on dude! You’ve surely noticed, he’s creepy as fuck. Stop denying it!” Souda shouted again, flinging his arms in the air to emphasize what he considered the obvious. Instead of rolling his eyes, he stopped walking and let out a large sigh. “I’m truly exhausted of this conversation. Yes, Yes—fine I may have noticed he may be a little of the odd ball but that doesn’t make him a bad person. Jesus Christ.”

Souda stopped with him as well and had this look on his face that Hinata considered a stupid one. A look that said I want to say more, but my tongue won’t properly function right now.

With another dramatic sigh, Hinata continued walking to his next period. “I swear to god it’s like this town is stuck still as the rest of the world progresses. It’s ridiculous.”

Souda grabbed his shoulder and turned Hinata to face him, his eyes staring into Hinata’s with a stern look that didn’t at all match his character.

“You’ll see soon enough.”

There was a pause but not long enough for Hinata to reflect on what he had just heard. There could have been two things Souda was referring to, but he knew he was implying at Komaeda. The bell rang and Souda resumed walking to class.

Hinata shook his head and then lightly jogged to catch up to Souda. This time he was the one tongue tied.

 

 

 The day ended and Hinata went to the edge of the forest to wait for Komaeda’s arrival. It was the first time he was in front of the forest without the other boys presence.

For reasons unbeknownst to him, as he gazed in to the forest the dense tree’s and brightly colored mushrooms and flowers popped out reminding him of an ocean and a migrating pack of jellyfish. The darkness of the forest seemed as deep as the Mariana trench. A mesmerizing sight, but one that could lull you in and in until you get stung.

_How far does this forest go anyhow?_

He began to have the implicit urge to venture into the forest, but a firm hand grabbed his shoulder. He jumped and swung around fists raised with surprise.

Souda--who grabbed his shoulder--jumped back, but Kuzuryuu stayed put, unaffected but Hinata’s alarm.

“Shit dude!”

Hinata, recognizing who it was, lowered his arms and glared. “Give me a warning why don’t you?”

“Sorry man, I called your name, but you didn’t answer.”

As he glared, Hinata brushed his shirt off like he was trying to smooth out wrinkles he thought formed from the interaction. Souda rolled his eyes and spoke. “What are you doing here? Kind of a weird place to find someone on a Friday.”

Hinata narrowed his eyes at what Souda was implying. He knew that Souda was trying to pry so when he mentioned Komaeda he could say some teasing remarks and then act shocked when Hinata retaliated. He was getting extremely sick of it.

“Just looking.” He responded curtly.

“Hm—well don’t go too far in there if you do. People have seen bears before.”

“Yeah alright.” He said passively with a dismissive wave.

They exchanged their goodbyes and Hinata saw Kuzuryuu open his mouth to speak to him, an emotion was glistening in the freckled boys eyes, but rather than speak, he clamped his mouth shut and followed Souda. Just moments after their deaprture, Komaeda approached from the same direction the two boys left in.

A bright smile was glistening off of his face and he walked with much more confidence than normal. Hinata let out a laugh when Komaeda was close enough to hear.

The smile fell from his face and was replaced with a tilt of the head.

“Just your smile, what were you thinking about.”

Komaeda realigned his head and smiled once again. “Just excited to hang out with you again is all.”

Hinata bristled at his comment, he was feeling rather perky as well despite Souda’s previous annoyances. They both began walking without a word towards their favorite tree.

As they walked, Hinata would gaze down at Komaeda’s hand, as though his mind and body were completely separate and he could hardly maintain control enough not to snatch his hand and clasp his fingers onto his.

Hinata often compared his thoughts to when you’re lying in a bath tub. Your arms float to the surface and peek out unless to force them to stay down. If you slip up, your arms surface instantly.

The tree was in their sights and they both gravitated towards it without a word, immediately pressing up against the trunk, the same knees touching just like the last time. They both seemed to love order.

The air was completely still that day. No gusts of winds to influence the leaves to dance and no giggling at leaves dancing into Komaeda’s hair to rest. There was a peaceful atmosphere that both of them were hoping nothing could disturb. Rather than thinking of what could happen, Hinata looked at Komaeda who wasn’t looking back—but up at the tree. His jawline was defined and shaded from the shadows caste by the glow of the tree.

"You know what this forest reminds me of?" Hinata asked, causing the bugs to stop chirping as though listening to what he had to say.

"What?"

"The ravine in  _Dandelion Wine._ You ever read it?"

Komaeda laughed and squinted his pretty eyes. "Why yes I have, why does it remind you of that?" 

Hinata looked around the forest, thinking of how he can describe his ideas that made sense in his mind, but maybe not so much on his tongue. "Well, it's kind of like, the whole town fears the ravine and sees it as something to avoid, but one night Douglas Spaulding walks up to it and observes it, finding the life ad beauty in it. Which is of course interrupted by on goers--but I mean, I feel like we're Douglas in a way."

He finished his statement and directed his gaze back towards Komaeda who was looking at him with such soft and loving eyes. His eyes were glistening with emotions of tranquility, like what Hinata had just said was the epitome of perfection. 

"That makes perfect sense. Wow, I finally get to live inside of a Ray Bradbury book huh?" Komaeda giggled. Hinata once again brought out the good in all and filled him with exhilarating hope that put all darkness to rest. In that moment, the tree paled in comparison. 

The bugs started chirping again and they remained silent, sometimes moving and touching the petals and sometimes just staring off into the wood. 

Time seemed to ticked by like that of an hourglass that someone kept turning over once it reached halfway.

“Have you ever thought of wanting to run away?” Komaeda asked abruptly, hushing the woods. 

Hinata grew hesitant to respond to a question like that. It seemed like such a frivolous question but whether you say yes or no reveals so much about yourself that hardly anyone is prepared to reveal. Running away is equivalent to the killing of oneself, in a very different form, but the concept remains the same.

“Why do you ask?” Hinata settled for.

Komaeda snapped his stare off of the branches and looked Hinata dead in the eyes, there wasn’t a waver to his eyes as he gazed with seeming fervor. “Just curious.”

He began to get concerned at the boys odd behavior and quickly questioned it. “Are you okay Komaeda? You’re acting strange.” Hinata was used to the random points of odd behavior from his friend, but this time it felt different.

“No-no-no, I’m perfectly fine, I’m sorry.”

Deciding not to progress the conversation any further, both boys stopped talking. The sun behind the clouds was losing it's battle and it sunk down a few inches. It was most certainly not bright, yet it still packed quite the punch when shooting directly into your eyes. Rather than simply shielding his eyes, Hinata let out an exaggerated sigh and plopped his head onto Komaeda’s shoulder, causing the boy to jolt and yelp in his throat.

“Sorry, I can get off if you want.” Hinata stated with a touch of delay. Komaeda’s eyes were darting everywhere until they landed onto Hinata’s head.

“No, it’s okay. As long as you’re happy. I just don’t think my shoulder will be very comfy, it’s boney.”

“No, it’s just right.”

For reasons unbeknownst to him, Komaeda felt his face pulsate and blush begin to form. Thankfully, he forced it down and settled for clearing his throat.

Hinata chuckled and nuzzled in further to the crook of his neck. Neither Hinata nor Komaeda knew where this sudden boldness came from, but Hinata was going to enjoy this moment while it lasted. To add another moments of contact to the pot, Hinata dropped a hand off of his knee and touched it Komaeda’s whom gaped at him. Hinata remained with his eyes but a sneaky smile on his lips.

Komaeda on the other hand was panicking. Not because he didn’t enjoy the contact—he rather did actually—but because he was so afraid that he would do something to upset him. Like maybe moving too much, or breathing too deep, or breathing too much, or looking at him too—

“Komaeda.” Hinata called out. “Relax, I can move if you want.”

“Wait, no! I’m perfectly fine.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

In mere minutes, Hinata’s breathes became shallower and fell into a steady rhythm. Komaeda’s heartbeat followed along to the expanding and deflating of Hinata’s chest.

Gradually Komaeda significantly calmed down and his eyes were falling on their own and popping back up with his help.

Despite his efforts to maintain consciousness, he dozed off, head plopping onto Hinata’s.

 

_Nagito honey, come here, sit on mamma’s lap. I have a story to read to you, come here._

_It’s called the bright window. There was once a little boy who loved his bedroom window, the light would shine in and in, kissing his face as though they were gifts from the angels. But, on the days where the sun was too bright it would hurt the boy’s eyes and cause him to slam his curtains shut. The whole town knew that the bright sun was a problem, so they called upon the gods to slam the curtains on the skies shut to protect them from the harmful rays. No one opposed it expect for the little boy whom begged and pleaded saying how the bad days were only bad days not forever bad. He cried out how that in spite of the bad days, there were also the good days. But the town wouldn’t listen and they asked the gods once again to close the curtains. Now the town has never seen a bright day, but rather gotten used to a different kind of bad day._

_Is that why our windows open mama?_

_Yes, we’ve gotten used to the bad._

 

 

 

Komaeda jolted awake with a gasp and Hinata head fell off his shoulder causing him to wake up as well. Both of them gasped when they saw that it was completely pitch black around them.

All of their senses had been wiped clean and it felt like they were thrust into a completely new world. The tree that was once full of glow seemed to dissipate from their sights like a candle with the top on. The once protective tree offered them nothing in the darkness.

“K-Komaeda!”

Komaeda couldn’t answer, he felt a heavy stone lodged in his throat preventing him from both breathing and speaking.

“Komaeda! Grab my hand!” Hinata yelled as he shot his hand out to find the other boys.

Finally, he felt Komaeda’s trembling hand and pulled him along as he quickly walked. Despite Hinata’s wavering voice, he was adamant on comforting Komaeda.

“We are almost out of here. I promise just keep moving.”

The only sound now was the leaves beneath their feet, their labored breaths, and what every sound each of them created out of panic.

Hinata saw a faint spot of lighter darkness compared to the absolute darkness after dodging another tree. “I see the exit!”

Picking up speed, they both flung out of the forest and onto the grass, right beside the school. The dull orange lights now becoming clear to the eye.

They said nothing and continued to gasp for air, both absolutely astonished by what had just happened. With a half lidded look from exhaustion, Hinata stumbled over to Komaeda and grabbed his shoulder. The other boy jolted so hard that Hinata’s hand fell off.

“Are you.” A pant. “Okay?” Hinata asked and gulped for air directly after.

Hinata heard a mumble from the boy whose eyes were planted on the forest edge. A trance seemed to overtake him and Hinata was mere background sound compared to that of the forests sound.

“I need.” Komaeda said and paused after as though to collect his thoughts.

In spite of the running that just occurred, Komaeda was no longer panting. He was breathing through his nose and had a fast rising and falling of the chest. The orange, artificial light from the school rested on his back and casted a light onto the back of his head.

“I need to shut the window.” He whined with a wavering voice.

“B-But Komaeda, your window is already shut.”

“I need to shut the window!” Komaeda suddenly screamed, piercing through the forest with such fervor that Hinata was sure it reached the tree.

“It’s already shut! Please calm down!” Hinata pleaded while steeping towards the boy. 

Komaeda tuned around to look at him, his eyes wide and glistening with intense panic that seemed to send tremors down his spine.

“H-Hinata-kun, I need to close it. It’s my fault she’s gone. The window, it was the window.” Komaeda whined, no longer shouting, but instead speaking with a dreary tone that caused Hinata to soften his look.

“K-Komaeda, I don’t know what you’re saying.” Hinata said as he once again advanced towards the fear-stricken boy whom was trembling like a leaf about to fall off of a tree.

Seeming disappointed, Komaeda bit his lip and turned his head towards the ground. There was no speaking and the sounds of the crickets in the brush near by filled their eardrums. A song that neither wanted to hear at the time.

Without a word, Hinata reached his hand out and brushed his fingers onto Komaeda’s pale hand. The other boy seemed too absorbed into his own thoughts to notice and grasped onto Hinata’s hand. Like his hand was nothing more than a stuffed animal used to comfort oneself.

Hinata began walking and Komaeda trailed behind, eyes still locked on the grass beneath his feet. Neither of them uttered a word and Hinata took him to the bus stop and into his home, which had only the downstairs light on.

The door was unlocked and they were both instantly greeted by a worried mother who had dried up tearing caked onto her cheeks.

As though they were both her children, she wrapped her arms tightly around them and ushered them upstairs.

She could tell something happened, but didn’t want to press on the matter. Hinata still didn’t know the time and as he walked upstairs he looked into the kitchen and read the clock which said _1:00 am._ Guilt flooded his body, his mother must have been worried sick.

Without a shower, they both entered Hinata’s room. Hinata was extremely concerned from the boy who hadn’t uttered a syllable, he was sure he’d be protesting at every turn, but he seemed too delirious to even know what was happening.

“Where’s Dad?” Hinata asked as his mom who was shutting the door after giving them some blankets.

She paused and turned her head out of the doorway. “Asleep.”

The one word summed up all of his experiences and all that his Father was truly worth.

“Goodnight mom, I love you.”

“Love you too.” She said with a smile that could cure all. “Sleep well you two.”

The door shut and darkness encased the room. The darkness caused the incident to reappear in his mind and images flooded his senses causing his throat to constrict. He had assumed Komaeda was going through the same situation.

Therefore, he stood up, went to his closet, removed his pink lights, and began to string them onto the curtains. This was the first time he had taken them out for quite a while now.

Komaeda glanced over at his movements without moving his head.  A seemingly bored expression was resting on his face. His exterior was like the cities surrounding other cities which were in the midst of a hurricane.

After finishing, a calmness seemed to lay itself upon the room. Hinata climbed back into bed and turned to face Komaeda who was already looking at him.

Both of them remained silent for quite some time and the soft glow of pink was like an extra layer of blanket that gave kisses to their cheeks to provide comfort.

“Hinata-kun.” Komaeda whispered.

“Yes.”

Komaeda shifted and looked up towards the ceiling. “Is it my fault?”

“No, it isn’t. At all.”

Hinata wasn’t aware of what he was referring to. But he knew that it wasn’t, and never will be, Komaeda’s fault.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

The stars fell and Komaeda’s eyes drifted open. The unfamiliar ceiling brought and emotion into him in which he couldn’t describe, so he looked over towards Hinata who was asleep.

He didn’t remember much of what happened last night, his mind was extremely foggy.

A footstep was heard outside of the door alongside a man’s voice that Komaeda couldn’t make out. The door knob twisted slightly until a softer women’s voice came and the door knob stopped moving. The shadows under the door shifted and left after the Women seemed to plead with the man.

Komaeda was uneasy, he had never met Hinata’s dad nor did he know he ever lived here. When Hinata first arrived in the town, he stated how his Mom and he wanted a fresh start. He mentioned nothing of a Dad.

He felt eyes resting on the back of his head, so he turned around and was met with Hinata’s. Before Komaeda could even think he spoke.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have fallen asleep.”

“Well, if that’s how we’re looking at things, I shouldn’t have either.” Hinata said, attempting to leave no room for protesting.

“But, I fell asleep after you, it was my responsibility to stay awake.”

Hinata threw his sheets off as he responded. “No, it wasn’t.”

He folded his blankets back over, removed his lights from the curtains and opened them in the process.

“Come on, I smell food I’m sure my mom’s cooked breakfast.” Hinata walked to the door and waited.

“O...Okay.” Komaeda answered sullenly.

 

 

Right as they opened the door the whiff of pancakes and eggs flooded their senses. The warm atmosphere traveled up the stairs and into their core practically forcing them to move forward.

“Hi boys! Did you sleep well?”

Hinata answered for them both. “Yeah, we did, thanks so much for breakfast Mom.”

“You’re welcome.” She replied warmly.

She handed both of them a plate and Komaeda reached forth, accidentally grazing his fingers over hers.

“Thank you—sorry.” He said automatically, apologizing for touching her. Hinata’s mom’s brows furrowed in confusion at his apology and she assured him that whatever he did wrong was fine and forgiven.

Hinata was confused as to why his Mom wasn’t bombarding him with questions regarding his absence last night. With a look at the depressed boy he assumed that his Mom was waiting for him to leave to scold him.

They finished their breakfast and Komaeda gave his thanks once more and told them he had to get going. Both Hinata and Komaeda knew he didn’t _need_ to leave exactly. It just felt appropriate in Komaeda’s mind.

Hinata walked him to the curb and they both waited for something to happen. “Are you sure you’re okay to walk home? I can walk you if you want?” Hinata asked, longing for Komaeda to say yes.

“No-no, I’m capable of walking myself. Thank you so much for everything.”

Komaeda began walking away from Hinata, eyes trailing on his until he was forced to turn them along with his head.

As he watched Komaeda walk away he remembered the answer to an important question earlier asked.

“Komaeda!” he yelled while cupping his hand around his mouth. “The answer is yes. I have thought of running away, you’re not alone.”

Komaeda stopped and looked back over his shoulder with no more than a smile gracing his lips and then continued walking down the street.

 

 

  

* * *

 

 

 

The day ticked by and Hinata sat at his desk and replayed the memories of what had happened last night until his ring tone made him jolt out of this thoughts.

He picked up his phone and read the message. _Hey Hinata, make sure to be ready I’m leaving soon._

Hinata gasped, he had completely forgotten about the movies. With the realization at how he couldn’t text Komaeda, he grabbed his jacket, slipped on some shoes and socks, and ran out of the front door towards Komaeda’s house.

It was awfully humid out, therefore Hinata proceeded to pant rather quickly. The air made his throat sticky and his forehead damp. The sky was covered in light grey pillow-like clouds.

It took a while to wait for the bus and he had finally made it to his destination after around twenty minutes.

He’ll never get used to the sheer grandness of Komaeda’s house, but now wasn’t the time to ogle. He rushed up to Komaeda’s door, through the front gate and knocked on it.

He was certainly expecting to have the door open and for Komaeda to be clothed in nothing more than pajamas and hair completely disheveled.

However, Komaeda opened the door with his hair its usual bouncy self, a nice green sweater, and black jeans, ready to go.

He looked shocked to see how exhausted Hinata was and he reached forward to him.

“Hinata-kun, are you okay? Why are you breathing so hard?”

Hinata lifted a hand to pause him and put his hands on his knee caps. With hard arduous breaths of air he attempted to speak. “The-the movies, soon we need to go.”

Komaeda lightly laughed. “Well, yes, I remembered, I did say I’d go.”

Hinata was shocked, after what had happened he hadn’t remembered and was planning on asking Komaeda if he was going to skip out on it.

“Are you.” He lifted his hands from his knees and furrowed his brows, mouth still panting. “Are you okay with going?”

Komaeda opened the door wider and muttered something about getting water before he answered. “Yes, I did say I could after all. It would be rude of me not to attend.”

They both ventured into the kitchen and Komaeda handed Hinata a glass of water in which he gulped down in one go. Komaeda giggled at his desperation.

As he wiped the excess water from his mouth, his brows remained downwards while he continued tried to untangle the mess that was his thoughts.

_He was an absolute mess earlier why is he so fine now?_

“Well, we should get going Hinata-kun.”

“Y-yeah.”

 

 

Idle conversation filled the air while they walked to the bus stop and it continued on the bus and it continued in the line at the movies.

“What movie should we see?” Hinata asked.

Komaeda grabbed his chin and looked towards him. “Ibuki-san did say something about wanting to see an action movie. But I’m not entirely sure all of us would enjoy that.”

Hinata couldn’t agree more, after the previous day’s occurrences, he was not up for a stressful movie. The two of the skimmed over the movie titles and Hinata pointed towards one. “How about we see _A Picture Frame?”_

“What is that about?”

Hinata laughed. “I have no idea.”

A small smile formed on Komaeda’s face. “I wouldn’t mind, as long as you want to see it.”

“No.” Hinata fully turned towards him. “Do _you_ want to see it?” A stutter grabbed Komaeda’s tongue at the sudden confrontation and he turned his gaze away.

“I said I don’t mind, therefore I do want to see it.”

“Not minding and wanting to see it are _completely_ different.” Hinata said while drawling would the completely to emphasize the differences.

“Then sure, I would like to see it.”

Hinata laughed and moved forward with the line and Komaeda followed along.

“Hinata!”  A yell shot from behind them. Both Komaeda and Hinata turned and were greeted by two boisterous individuals running up to them, effectively cutting through the line to catch up with them, bumping into every person possible.

Hinata looked at Komaeda in embarrassment and saw Komaeda with his jaw slackened at the current situation.

Rather than remaining embarrassed, Hinata started to laugh at Komaeda’s face, whom in result directed his disbelief towards Hinata.

The two, who seemed completely incapable of reading social situations, caught up to them and stood by lightly panting.

Ibuki was the first to speak. “So-so-so-so-so” She said with a bounce on each syllable. “What movie are we seeing?”

“Well, we were thinking of—“

“How about we see _Godzilla strikes again_! It seems so crazy and.” She stopped and didn’t continue her sentence, seeming to believe it was complete.

Souda put a thumbs up towards them all. “Sounds awesome to me! What do you think Hinata?”

The boy on the receiving end glared at Souda. “ _Komaeda_ and I wanted to see _The Picture Frame_.” He grumbled.

Souda threw his thumb down and flung both arms down in a whine. “Oh come on dude! That seems so boring!” Hinata looked over at Komaeda who was playing with a thread that came loose on his sweater and seeming to try and completely ignore the current topic.

To try and get his attention he nudged him and like Hinata clicked start on a machine, Komaeda began talking. “I truly don’t mind, whatever you guys want to watch.”

Hinata gaped, he wasn’t even helping him out.

“All right, well see _Godzilla Strikes Again_ then!” Ibuki shouted just as they reached the front of the line. “B-But” Hinata tried to protest, but it fell on deaf ears.

They all bought the tickets, got two tubs of popcorn, and ventured into the completely vacant theater room. “Wow its empty!” Souda exclaimed.

Hinata leaned over to Komaeda and whispered in his ear. “I’m not shocked.” They both laughed with each other and followed the two eager ones who picked the seat where you can put your feet up on a bar.

Souda handed Hinata the popcorn that Komaeda and him would share. After a while of commercials the movie started and they remained the only people in the theater. Souda and Ibuki were practically bouncing in their seats.

Rather than watch the move once it began Hinata took favor to simply glancing at Komaeda who seemed to feign his interest in the movie.

The explosions reflected off of his face like a flickering candle and Hinata though to analyze his face rather than the movie.

Komaeda most certainly felt his stare as he looked over to Hinata and smiled. A sudden scream came from the movie and both of them snapped their stare off of each other and saw a girl crushed under a car.

Komaeda looked towards the screen with a blank face and Hinata grimaced at the gruesomeness that was the women’s death. On the other hand Souda and Ibuki were laughing.

Both of them resumed their staring and Hinata had just realized that he hadn’t offered Komaeda any popcorn.

“Here take some.”

Komaeda shook his head. “No thank you Hinata-kun, I’m not very hungry right now.”

Hinata nodded slowly and maintained his stare, it wasn’t until then that Hinata saw Komaeda’s exhaustion in his shoulders and weariness in the his eyes.

The concerned boy frowned and glared at the movie which noises were overwhelming his senses and he was sure Komaeda’s as well.

“Hey you guys, we’re going to the bathroom and to get more butter for our popcorn.” Hinata called out, not bothering to soften his voice as a result of the empty theater.

Souda stuck his thumb up again without losing eye contact with the screen. Komaeda was looking at Hinata with confusion, the movie was almost over and he hadn’t told him they were leaving.

I mean he knew he wasn’t interested, but he was still nervous as to why they were going to leave.

Hinata stood up and grabbed Komaeda’s hand to pull him along with. It wasn’t until then that Komaeda realized how much they had touched hands in the past days. He reminisced and counted exactly three times that their fingers had touched. Two of those they had held hands—well, now three times. A blush rushed to his cheeks that he was unable to force down. Hinata's hand was so warm and the touch filled him with a feeling that could only be described as all the stars in the galaxy wounded up inside his chest.

As they walked, Komaeda turned his feet towards the bathroom but continued to get pulled along with Hinata, past the butter machine.

“Um, Hinata?” Komaeda called out softly.

“Relax I just had an idea.” Hinata responded as he glanced at his worried friend.

“And what is that?” Komaeda asked while looking around at the stares people were giving them at their interlocked hands.

“Let’s watch the end of _The Picture Frame,_ the endings are always the best part after all.” Hinata stated with confidence once they reached the door to the movie which only had five minutes left.

Komaeda was going to protest but thought better of it as he was dragged in down the aisle. They didn’t get a seat, but stood by the exit and looked at the screen.

Neither of them had any idea what was going on, there were two men sitting in a room with a big window open and gusts of wind flying through, blowing the curtains open dramatically.

One man stood and walked towards the window, back turned to the other man whom was slowly advancing towards him.

 _What do you think the meaning of life is?_ The man by the window asked. The other guy stopped and didn’t speak, waiting for an answer that would surely come. When people ask those question it isn’t to hear an answer, it’s so they can answer it themselves.

Sure enough, the man by the window spoke. _The meaning of life is that of a picture frame. It surrounds us at every point in time, yet never changes. We, on the inside of the frame are the ones who change. Merely the idea of the meaning of life changes from our perspective, it’s nothing more than that._

There was a great big pause and the wind shaking the curtains stopped blowing for a fragment of a second. The other man finally spoke. _Then what is the meaning of life?_

 _It’s whatever the universe entails it to be._ He answered, back still turned.

The other man scoffed. _So you don’t know, what bullshit._

 _No, no I do indeed very well know the answer. You just don’t deserve to hear it._ He responded finally turning around with a cruel grin plastered onto his cheeks.

The once who was once paused was now screaming full volume and rushing towards him. The man on the receiving end merely closed his eyes and allowed himself to get pushed out of the window which seemed to swallow him and push out the excess wind that was blocked from his departure.

The man was alone in the room now and sat, panting for air until the end credits rolled.

The entire theater was silent until soft music played and the background picture of the man faded and was replaced with black. Once that happened the whole theater stood up and muttered to each other about the events which just took place.

Komaeda and Hinata eyes were still frozen on the screen while people brushed past them out of the theater.

After moments in which neither counted, the both began moving along with the still outpouring crowd. Neither knew was to say to one another, and they were saved the attempts once Souda and Ibuki spotted them and ran up to them.

“Wasn’t that movie just amazing?” Ibuki shouted hair bouncing up and down with her.

Hinata looked at Komaeda who was already looking at him. “Yeah, it was.”

 

They both departed and Hinata and Komaeda were walking home during the end of the afternoon. The light behind the clouds was slowly fading.

“We should watch the whole movie sometime.” Hinata said, thoughts still clearly on the events of the movie.

“Yeah we should.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. I will try to get the next chapter out soon. I hope you enjoyed and I would deeply appreciate a review :)


	7. Forests End for Some

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you enjoy reading. This chapter gets pretty dark and if you can't handle it please don't read, alcoholism and mentioned of suicide are heavy in this. Thank you so much for checking this out and I hope you enjoy :)

Komaeda was absent. He had given Hinata no forewarning and simply didn’t show up. He considered that possibly he was home sick, but he had a feeling it was different this time. Pekoyama, who sat next to him, saw his worried face.

“Do not worry, he isn’t sick. He is absent for different reasons.” She reassured, her soft tone and smile relieving Hinata. Yet, while he was glad Komaeda must have not been sick, he had an awful feeling in his chest.

_What other reason could he miss for and why did Pekoyama know?_

He looked back over to the empty seat next to him and then back over to Pekoyama who had adverted her attention elsewhere.

“All right class!” The teacher yelled as she clapped. “I know today is hard for us all, but we must remain strong.” She let out a deep sigh. “It’s what she would want.”

Hinata instantly looked towards the empty seat in the center of the room, a dreadful feeling shrouded it that was so pungent it was almost visible to the eye. Oddly enough, though the seat was an inanimate object, Hinata now considered it female.

“This, class, is why I need you all to find a meaning in your lives, as Nanami Chiaki seemed unable to find hers.”

The pouring of the rain outside grew stronger in that moment, concealing any of the whimpers and tears that dripped out of the students eyes. A name was finally put on the seat and despite the context of how Hinata received his answer, he felt rather relieved knowing who sat there.

Kuzuryuu abruptly stood up and yelled. “You know she didn’t kill herself!”

The whole class flinched at his comment and the teacher immediately yelled back. “Yes, she did! Now sit down before I send you out of this class for disruption.” Kuzuryuu seemed to hesitate but ultimately sat down with a frown etched onto his features.

Hinata felt incredibly displaced, he knew nothing of what they were speaking about, but the girl’s name, and all he wanted was for Komaeda to be by his side with him for this so he hadn’t felt so foreign.

Class ticked by at the slowest rate yet and Hinata waited for something to happen. Almost like he knew he were trapped inside his own face, he was antsy, waiting for what he was expecting but couldn’t wrap his mind around.

He allowed his thoughts to drift back to the weekend. They never ended up watching the movie together. The perception of how it related to their lives gradually slipped away like that of an irrelevant memory.

The sound of rain pattering against the roof made Hinata think of when Komaeda’s hair was wet. The water that slipped down his neck and through his loose sweater sleeves to drip off of his fingertips. It was the first time they’d hung out together.

Hinata knew all too well that Komaeda was lying when he said a car splashed him. He had a look in his eyes that betrayed his tongue, it wasn’t a sad look--it was a devious one, like he was plotting his revenge as they spoke. His mouth recited something he was used to but his brain worked like clockwork to conjure up a way to fuck up the lives of those who messed with him.

Despite this, Hinata’s opinion of him was that of someone held to the highest prestige. Komaeda was so kind and giving and gleeful and beautiful and alluring. The boy still remained like that in his mind, Hinata knew that this would not change; yet, there was a heavy feeling in his chest that if he were to go home today, these feeling would somehow be forgotten.

 

 

 

The rain was too hard to sit outside, so Hinata sat in the indoor cafeteria next to Pekoyama, Souda, Ibuki, and Kuzuryuu. Everyone was chatting and contributing their fair share to the conversation besides Kuzuryuu whom was looking outside the window, mind clearly elsewhere. You could tell that everyone at the table was doing what Kuzuryuu was doing, they just spoke while doing so.

Abruptly, he turned over and spoke. “Do you know why we hate Komaeda so much?

The statement was so random that Hinata paused his eating and gathered himself up before replying, the hesitation clear in his voice. “Why?”

“He’s killed someone before.”

The proclamation riveted down Hinata’s spine and made a feeling settle in the bottom of his stomach that he could not describe. If Souda were saying this, he would call bullshit—yet it wasn’t, this was Kuzuryuu, his face was free of all traces of a joke as his gaze hardened into Hinata’s receding one.

Hinata tried to speak but his tongue was in knots and his thoughts were ineligible. Images of the empty chair and the harsh glares toward the seemingly-innocent boy, flashed through his mind. 

Finally, he swallowed hard and responded. “Why do you think that?”

Kuzuryuu did a great-big pause, preparing himself to speak. “He’s an absolute-fucking psychopath, you know that?” He paused with his eyebrows raised. “When he was younger, apparently he was such an awful child that his own Mom flung herself out of the window of his bedroom. No warnings, no signs, no reasons—she simply decided to do it one day.”

Hinata felt disgusted, he knew he shouldn’t be hearing this from him. That was a personal thing that shouldn’t be spread around like some story out of a book. It’s a private thing that should be revealed only when Komaeda is ready to reveal it.  Yet, despite his sudden revulsion, he did not protest as the story was continued.  

“And then, a month later, his Dad left on a business trip with Komaeda who came along with him. The plane crashed and he was the only survivor.”

Hinata once again swallowed hard with his throat that was now aching from the consistent tension. His mind was running a million miles and his head hurt from trying to put a break on them. Komaeda had lied, but he couldn’t bring himself to be angry with him. He lied for perfectly good reason, no one wants to say these things.

“T-That doesn’t mean he killed anyone.” Hinata protested, eyes staring down at the smooth white table.

Kuzuryuu looked at the others at the table and scooted closer, Pekoyama seemed to consider protesting as she reached out at him, mouth quivering slightly, but thought better of it and brought her arm back down.

“Oh, but it does.” He said with a small turn up of his lips, smiling yet his eyes remaining spiteful.

“Nanami Chiaki, they spent a lot of time together—inseparable even. She was the most joyful girl I’d ever known, we could lose the sun and as long as we had her the world could keep on turning.” His anger turned into a downcast of his eyes. “But now she’s gone, but at least we have the sun, right?” He said with a bitter laugh.

This, Hinata considered truly sad. They didn’t even have the sun.

He stood up suddenly, hand smacked down on the table, shaking it. “She would never-ever fucking kill herself. Ever!” He said, teeth grinding. “He killed her, after all, he was with her as she died, just like his mom, just like his dad, just like his damn fucking dog even.”

Hinata was leaning back and couldn’t speak, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and a bitter taste rose from his throat. Kuzuryuu spoke, attempting to cut off Hinata whom looked like he was going to speak, but only wanted to gasp for air.

“There is abso-fucking-lutely no chance she would ever, _ever_ , kill herself.” Tears polled in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks, like they were acid they made his face redder than it was before.

“She wouldn’t do that to us. She just wouldn’t”

Everyone at the table, but Hinata, had tears either in their eyes or on their faces. All of them thought he did it, all of them, and this was when Hinata realized there was no way to reason with them.

Ibuki, who is normally overflowing with joy and had a mouth that ran like a forgotten faucet, kept her mouth sealed shut. Pekoyama only looked at her freckled companion with sad eyes and Souda licked his lips to speak, not to Hinata’s surprise.

“People always say no one can be born evil, but he was. He was born evil, and not a single person in this world can convince me otherwise.” Souda fumed, a look in his eyes that could kill, but as usual they also held a tint of fear.

Hinata still chose to remain silent, his body was however not silent. He was shaking, violently. Everything he was once holding fell out of his hands and he was stricken with dismay. He wouldn’t allow himself to believe what they were saying, yet his image of the Komaeda he held in the highest prestige was being tainted. It was kind of like falling in love, you can’t control something once your mind locks onto it. It grows and grows and grows until you give up trying to halt it.

The lunch bell rang and everyone on the table stood up and left without speaking to him. Hinata, with his still shaking hands, picked up his items and wandered like a zombie to his next class.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Before going home, Hinata stood in front of the forest, wondering if maybe Komaeda was at the tree.

                                             

  ~~~~

* * *

Hinata arrived home from school, not at all taking notice of the empty kitchen in which his mom normally greeted him. Like the zombie he remained, he trudged upstairs and flopped onto his bed. His head was pounding from the stress of what he’d learned and he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep.

Just as his eyes began shutting he heard a sob come from his mom’s room. He quickly jumped up and ran over, not wasting a moment to check on her.

When he opened the door he was greeted by his dad standing and glaring at his mom, eyes not even turning towards him despite how he practically kicked the door open. His mom had mascara running down her face as she turned to look at him, so much sadness was in her eyes and Hinata knew he would remember that exact look in his nightmares.

His gaze shifted to the floor and landed on his journal, clearly thrown down in anger from the pages that were folded against the carpet.

Just as he took notice of the journal his dad spoke. “Son, I know that your so-called _therapist.”_ He emphasized with air quotations. “Told you it was best to write down your feelings in a journal, but this was just disgusting. Oh wait sorry, I should say _diary,_ you’d probably prefer that _._ ”

Hinata looked towards his mom who was sobbing hysterically with every word he spit out. Sadness swelled in his chest, _this is my fault._

“Would you shut the hell up! Can’t you see you’re making her cry?”

“Oh like you’d care, I thought I’d raised you better?” His dad remarked with a feigned said look in his eyes.

Hinata clenched his fists and took a step forwards. “You would know that answer if you’d actually have raised me!”

With the step he took a harsh smell of alcohol filled his senses. He was drinking again.

His dad took a step forward as well and grabbed his arm. “You—you’re going to a camp, my son can’t be gay. I won’t allow it.”

“What the hell?” Hinata responded tugging his arm out of his weak grasp. “Like there are any of those near here and you wouldn’t do that.”

He grabbed his arm again ad pulled him out into the hallway. The petrified boy tried tugging out of his hold again but this time the grip wasn’t weak. He could hear his mother stand up and run down the hallway.

“W-Wait! Stop this instant! He does not need to go, he’s fine and he’s not doing any harm!” She yelled and grabbed her husband whom did not even spare her a glance as he stepped out of the front door and slammed it in her face.

She quickly opened it and ran in front of the car door. “You can’t drive this drunk, you won’t even be able to see the road in front of you. Please don’t get in the car!”

“I can do what I please.” He snapped as he pushed her out of the way.

He forced Hinata into the passenger seat and stumbled over to his side. In desperation, she attempted to open the door but it was quickly locked by her husband who was now driving away into the pouring rain that soaked the streets.

She was now screaming; but, despite the volume of these screams, not a single neighbor left their houses to assist her.

 

They drove in silence, Hinata had dried up tears on his cheeks from watching his mother cry. All he’d wanted was for her to be happy and if it weren’t for him, she would be. Yes she would have still married him, but maybe he wouldn’t have become an alcoholic, maybe they would have been happy, maybe this night wouldn’t have ever occurred and she could have been sleeping peacefully beside him in a bed they wished to share mutually.

He knew they would never reach a facility, it was too dark shrouded by the forest and he was taking so many turns, Hinata knew all too well that they were lost. Fear blurred his vision from his dad’s constant swerving and the swigs of alcohol he was taking as he drove.

“Almost there.” He slurred.

Suddenly, at the next sip of beer, a deer jumped out of the forest and his dad took no notice to it. He merely kept driving and hit it so hard that the blood splatted on the windshield, further restricting his vision.  

The car spun out for a few moments and halted when they smacked into a tree. It was so harsh that the front of the car was squished up like an accordion. A deadly silence filled the forest as no one exited the car.

 

 

* * *

 

                                                                                                                             

At home Komaeda had blood pooling on his fingers and dripping onto the ground, the window in front of him now sealed shut. Red streaks colored his white hair from his repeated running hands through it and yanking it out from stress. Normally, tomorrow, Hinata would ask how he was doing when he saw absent pieces of eyebrows. Komaeda longed for that question.

He kept looking into the forest in which seemed to go on forever, but he was hopeful that it ended somewhere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tysm for reading, honestly this was really negative and I am planning on writing a happy simple story once I finish this one. This story has only got a few chapters left and soon the scene I thought of to make me write this is coming up and I'm so excited! Again thanks for reading, love you all <3


	8. Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this chapter (well as much as you can at least) it is rather heavy on the angst and the mentions of suicide are very strong, please read only if you can handle that. I don't want any of you feeling too sad, I promise things will get better :) <3

Clouds shrouded the sky, but cracks of light peered through as though checking on the things in which the clouds obstructed their view of. He could recall the last time the sun shined brightly down on the town, evaporating the water-filled clouds. The bright boy, whom had gone through so much, was walking down the street to his school. His bright green jacket meshed perfectly with his personality in which absorbed the sun that shone on him occasionally.

When he arrived at the school gates he was instantly greeted. “Hey, Komaeda!” Sonia bristled while advancing towards him.

“Hello Sonia-san, how are you?”

“I am quite lovely, but do you know where Chiaki is? She fell asleep while we were doing our project together and I need to talk to her about how we can complete it in the most efficient way possible.” Sonia responded, looking tired despite the bounce in her step.

“No, I’m sorry, I haven’t seen her yet today, but I’ll look around.”

“My deepest thanks.”

Komaeda waved goodbye as he walked through the school door and ventured to his first period class which he was sure contained the sure-to-be drooling girl. Sure enough, Chiaki was laying head down on her desk and her Gameboy propped up from her elbows like she just dozed off moments ago.

Komaeda laughed and harshly shook her shoulder, knowing that a gentle shake would never wake her. Without a stir, he shook her once more and she dizzily sat up, her pinkish-grey hair stuck to her cheek in which she brushed off.

She yawned and wiped her eyes. “G’morning Komaeda.”

Komaeda smiled softly and responded. “Good morning, Sonia-san was looking for you.”

He reached his hand out and Chiaki grabbed it with no hesitation, an action they were both very used to. They walked down the halls until they reached Sonia who beamed when she saw her partner. Most would glare at how much of a hindrance Chiaki had been, but you could never get angry with her.

“You fell asleep while were working last night!” Sonia reprimanded with a disciplinary point of her finger.

Chiaki yawned and opened up her eyes, her purple bags very prominent against her ghostly-pale skin. “I’m sorry Sonia, I haven’t been sleeping too well lately.”

Instantly dread filled Komaeda’s core, he had always been quick to jump to the worst conclusions. Sonia beamed and changed her wagging finger to a wave of the hand. “No-no, it’s fine, I forgive you, but we need to work on it together, okay?”

“Mhm.” She replied with a gentle smile.

They exchanged their goodbyes and right when the opportunity came to voice his concerns, K­­­omaeda did. “Chiaki, you never have trouble sleeping, you just never sleep because you play your games all night. What’s wrong?” Komaeda asked with a concerned tone lacing his voice.

Chiaki folded her game up and placed it in her pocket, her gaze remaining on the floor. After a few moments of silence, she looked at him and smiled.

“It’s nothing. I’m okay.” She answered as she began to walk back to the classroom while holding Komaeda’s jacket to tug him along. Despite Komaeda’s size in comparison to hers, he always allows himself to be pulled along by her no matter the circumstances. Even if he did not want to move, he would seemingly follow her as though in a trance, unable to resist her wants.

“It’s certainly not nothing, something is bothering you. When you’re ready to talk about it I’m here for you.” Komaeda said with a sad look in his green eyes. Insecurities flashed through his head that maybe she didn’t like him enough to discuss it despite how long they’d known each other.

Sensing his distress, she quickly reassured him that it wasn’t because of him in any way—but both of them knew that wouldn’t be enough to convince him.

The two of them drearily trudged back to class once the bell rang and the day went on as usual. Once school ended Komaeda rushed out of school and politely declined all of his friend’s requests to hang out. He was hurriedly looking for Chiaki whom was nowhere to be seen, they always met by the gate and walked home together, but she wasn’t there this time.

His vision seared and became hazy until a soft, warm hand grabbed his shoulder and instantly soothed all of his worries. With his eyes clear, he turned to Chiaki who had her lips upturned in a loving smile as she grabbed his hand and began walking.

They weren’t dating, despite how many questions they had both received and how annoyed the class became each time they were reminded of the fact. Neither of them needed to date to love each other, whether they were dating or not, Chiaki’s warm hand would have the same comforting effect on him. They were inseparable.

 

**Chiaki Nanami Found Dead On—**

Video games were their favorite activity. With Komaeda’s luck and Chiaki’s skill, there was no way of knowing who would win each time they picked up the remote.

Cool glasses of lemonade would rest on the table and the condensation that dripped would leave a white cup-shape on the wood that Komaeda would desperately attempt to wipe away. It would always fade away, but they started using coasters just in case.

Komaeda giggled when he died once again from Chiaki’s onslaught of attacks. The blank-faced girl revealed her efforts from the hard grip on the remote that caused her knuckles to turn white.

“I’ve never beaten you at this game. I’m too awful at it.”

“Maybe if you’d learned the controls and not pushed buttons randomly you would win.”

“Maybe.”

Neither of them spoke as Chiaki popped out the game they were playing and replaced it with a new one. And the gaming ensued.

 

**Chiaki Nanami Found Dead On Sidewalk from Collision with the—**

“Hey Komaeda, you wanna hang out after school?”

“I’m terribly sorry, I can’t, I’ve already made plans with Chiaki.”

Kuzuryuu shook his head. “Of course you did.”

Komaeda smiled at him and walked over to the edge of the forest and spotted Chiaki playing her usual game with her hood over her head. His face brightened subconsciously and he picked up his pace.

“Ready?” Komaeda asked, peeking around her hoody.

She nodded and they both walked to their destined location. Their feet moved mechanically as they’d been walking this road since early middle school.

The tree wasn’t the brightest thing in the forest, but it still did a splendid job lighting up the area. The sun casted shadows onto the leafy-floor from the weeping tree. The patterns were like a painting painted by somehow who spent years on each individual stroke.

They sat, knees touching and the soft sound of Chiaki snapping her game closed caused Komaeda to look at her.

“Komaeda, have you ever wanted to just run away?” Chiaki asked, gaze on the dancing shadows of the tree.

 “I’m not sure.” He replied absentmindedly. Chiaki seemed hurt by his nonchalance as she looked away from him and up at the leaves. The soft wind shook the branches and pushed her tears back into the pool of her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

 

**Chiaki Nanami Found Dead On Sidewalk from Collision with the Ground!**

 

The news headline caused the town in its entirety to cry. Everyone knew each other well and the loss of someone so kind caused a crack to form beneath the structure that held the town together.

He screamed and screamed and screamed when he found out. She did it on the way back from their usual hangouts. What did I do wrong? Did she hate me that much? Why did she leave me?

_I’m alone again._

He shattered his windows, ripped up anything he could find, ripped out his hair, and scratched his skin until it bled.

His grief was interrupted by a harsh knock on his door. As he stood in the kitchen, all around him destroyed and eyes as wide as can possibly get, he froze. He saw her, soft and kind tapping on his door, humming a gentle song as she waited for him to open the door

He wanted to feel her hand around his, her gentle voice act as the eye of his storm, her beautiful eyes soothe even the deepest of pains.

With a laugh he walked to the door and swung it open, wanting to feel her warmth, but was instead greeted with a harsh punch to the face that made him fall back into his house.

Too many people hovered over him to count.

“What did you do? She was with _you_ last.” A voice snarled and stepped on his hand.

His body was as numb as his mind when he was surrounded by the people whom used to greet him with happiest of calls.

“I-I-I.” He stuttered out before another voice screamed over him.

“It’s all your fault, you kill everyone around you. You’re disgusting!”

Komaeda’s eyes were as wide as saucers when he finally processed those hurting him, his classmates and Chiaki’s parents. Souda was stepping on his hand and Hiyoko screamed at him.

A shock of pain shot through his chest, causing him to become inept to even utter another syllable. Shock was replaced with fear, he hadn’t felt this awful in so long. His eyelids fell down and became half lidded as all of the screams became fuzzy.

_I’m sorry._

“You should just die, it’s all your fault!” Koizumi shrieked tears streaking down with her anger-stricken face.

He attempted to speak but he chocked, he couldn’t breathe. As his airways painfully closed, the tears he managed to rein in began falling again.

Only one thought plagued his mind as his vision went black. _You should die-You should die-You should die._

**Hajime Hinata—**

 

It was a cold night and the entire town seemed to be screaming. Harsh wind blew trees to the point of almost falling and rain shot down from the sky and stinging any skin on the point of contact.

He was alone in his home, the news headliner sounding and alert from his television. All around him was demolished as he flung open his window that immediately blew the curtains inwards blocking all visions expect the view outside.

Lights were glowing in the forest and yells were heard from the citizens occupying it. Just as Komaeda placed a foot on his window, a knock was heard at his front door that shook the entire house almost pulling it out of its very foundations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it was short, but I felt this was appropriate for the chapter, I wanted to keep it clear and concise. I love you all <3


	9. Dreary Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you love this chapter!! This is the scene that spurred me to write this story and I had such an amazing time writing it.

Humans were born with seemingly natural lust for war. History tells a tale of a world that was once fully encompassed with death and destruction and as people think of it, they tell themselves _what savages--_ but in reality, are we really that different from them now?

Komaeda’s thoughts were blank as he rushed out of his backdoor and into the woods behind his house. Screams and shattering glass filled the inside of his home as he kept running, pleading with whatever was behind the clouds that he could escape them.

He wasn’t going to sit and take it like he did last time. He couldn’t, not with Hinata missing—he knew he had to find him.

A yell and the sound of his door opening echoed through the woods and briefly overshadowed his own sounds of crunching branches and crinkling leaves. His harsh panting puffed out like steam out of an overexerted machine in the freezing cold night. At almost every turn he was about to smack into a tree that he narrowly dodged at the last moment.

Hinata was somewhere in this forest, he knew it. They were both one—running together in the same darkness, however as one was trying to find people one was trying to escape them.

The yells seemed to get closer and flashlights shot through to him from behind trees. Terror racked his spine when he realized his body was giving out, his mind kept screaming to run but his body thought otherwise. His body was his prison, it was the way he was perceived, the way he would fall ill, and the way he was about to get caught.

Just before he collapsed, his eyes saw a gleaming light in the distance. An almost religious feeling of momentous glory rejoiced through him as his eyes brimmed with hope.

 _The tree!_ He thought as he momentarily picked up his pace causing his body to scream in pain. _Hinata-kun has to be there!_

He rushed and rushed until he was at the tree’s base, all of the voices were still present but muted from distance. The brilliance of the tree embraced him and the burning in his legs was momentarily forgotten. He looked around with a small smile at the thought of seeing Hinata. His eyes searched and searched until a sinking feeling in his chest caused his eyes to stop and rest back on the tree.

 _Where is he?_ He thought as his smile plummeted and his eyes burned instantaneously.

_He left me? Why would he leave me?_

“There he is!” A familiar voice shouted.

All of Komaeda will dissipated as he stood in horror in front of the eternal glowing tree. The sound of harsh footsteps halted and Komaeda didn’t bother turning around. He didn’t want to see their eyes, he hated all of their eyes.

Briefly, the image of Hinata smiling and crinkling his hazel eyes in delight filled his brain. His eyes carried the weight of the world from the dark impending forests to the fresh cracks of opening soda in a perfect summer.

However, this smile in particular didn’t bring him happiness.

“You fucker!” Komaeda jolted and clenched his hands, pushing his nails into his skin like the orange he opened with Hinata during their first lunch together.

“Hinata was last seen at the edge of the woods! By your guy’s meeting spot!” A voice that sounded like Kuzuryuu screamed.

“You killed someone else, this time you won’t get away with it.” A girl with a rough voice shouted, sounding like Akane but much-much different.

All Possibilities of him protesting left his body as he fell to his knees, eyes still on the now blurry tree from his streams of tears. He saw Hinata and him sitting beneath it and discussing whatever story came to their minds or whatever the buzz of the bees made their minds comprise.

Suddenly a dull thud hit his head. His vision blurred from what was not tears and he fell down onto his stomach. A trickle of blood dripped into his eye deeming it unusable and the discomfort made him wince. The pain from his wound didn’t hit him until a few moments after laying, a sharp consistent throb made his eyes shoot to momentary darkness with each shrill.

 “Y-You guys! Stop it p-please.” A squeaky voice pleaded sounding as though she were not at all expecting the sudden violence.

“Shut the fuck up.” A male’s voice said harshly.

Komaeda couldn’t hear anything but the ringing in his ears. Footsteps arrived in front of his face and someone crouched down. His sharp teeth more visible once he flicked a lighter on that lit up his deranged face.

Life is a picture frame. The world has already been planned on the frame, but us unlucky ones in the picture attempt to change what has already been decided.

“Now we’re gonna take something from you.” He said, frown morphing into a crazed smile.

He stood up and walked over to the tree, the glittering pink had no struggle outshining the match held uncomfortably close to it.

Komaeda, now finally understanding what was going on, attempted to stand but was pushed down by someone’s foot behind him. He reached out his hand and opened his mouth to speak, but no sounds came out besides a harsh wheeze.

Slowly, Souda raised his hand until the flame touched the bottom of one of the stream of pink leaves. The flames engulfed the delicate leaf and trailed up, burning the ballerina legs that once touched the ground and spread its illuminating beauty.

Komaeda finally found his voice, “Please don’t take them from me!” He screamed out with an outstretched hand. “Please!” His head pounded with each word.

The fire trailed up and up, wrapping each leaf in its fire and stealing its glow, turning it into a brown brittle leaf that fell and joined the darkness on the ground. The once beautiful streams touching the ground spread the fire onto the forest floor, surrounding the tree in a sweltering heat.

He saw his Mother’s beautiful smile and gentle voice that tucked him to sleep at night. He saw his Father’s soft hands that held his when he walked down the familiar roads to school. He saw his dog that licked away his tears from the harshest of storms. He saw Chiaki’s warm eyes that guided him through the chaos. He saw his life, his life which was being eaten away by the flames.

Komaeda screamed and cried until his throat burned. But, nevertheless, the tree was fully enraptured in fire. Bright orange flickered up into the sky and surely lit up the entire forest. All around Komaeda was his classmates whom smiled at the light. They had found their sun—but in order to do that, they had to steal his.

His cries and the cracking sound of wood were the only noises, his classmates remained silent as they watched the tree burn. Branches snapped and smacked into the ground sending pieces of fire sparking towards the observers. Some stepped on the sparks too near them like they’d stepped on his hope. A single stomp and the light was out.

Once the fire grew too near, they all snapped out of their trance and left Komaeda on the ground without a word. Even Mikan whom had shown compassion left him lying near the fire.

Once the sound of their footsteps became nonexistent, Komaeda finally brought himself to sit up. The burning willow tree reflected off of his shiny eyes that were wide with distraught.

He saw everything he had ever loved burning to the ground before his very eyes—yet something inside him felt a sudden rush of peace. He was feeling them again. Their warmth, their care, their heartbeats. It all swelled around him like a great big rush of heat from a crack in the dim sky. He had almost forgotten they were there, the glow felt like a soft glow—but it wasn’t _their_ glow.

Without even realizing it, Komaeda stood up on his shaky knees and walked up the tree. The flames licked at his ankles as he walked through with no hesitation. The idea of death had not phased him while his feet burned like heated concrete in a seething town.

_I want to feel your embrace._

He ventured up to the stump that charred underneath the flames. Just as the warmth that began to burn his clothes started to feel like kisses, the sky began to cry.

Komaeda looked up at the sky but looked back down in panic once he heard the sizzling sound against the bark in front of him. With the flames that remained, he reached forward and embraced his loves.

A smile found its way to his lips as his tears rushed over them and dribbled off of his chin, steaming and evaporating once they touched the flames.  

The very last flame was extinguished and the tree was no longer glowing. The ballerina legs had broken and fallen to the earth they had teased with the hovering not long ago. Fallen leaves remained pliant as the fire danced on its skin trailing up an around until nothing was left. The tree was as black as coal and not a speck of life remained.

Komaeda released his hold on the empty tree and fell backwards onto the forest floor. Charred leaves flew up from the rush of wind on his impact and soared threw the air before they were soon dragged back down to the earth.

The rain drizzled on his hot body like falling stars that speckled his skin. He lifted his hand up to the dreary sky and let a smile grace his lips that cracked with the stretch. Rain burned his quivering lips and stung the open wounds. The descending rain pattered against his opened palm and streamed down his shivering arm.

_I’m alive! How had I not known it before? I feel the rain, the earth beneath my body, the cold wind brushing against my skin, the blood rushing through my veins, and the heartbeat in my chest. I can hear each and every individual star twinkling behind the sky, hiding away and only coming out at the time when most aren’t looking. I can feel life._

_Hinata-kun, I think I’m in love with you._

As Hinata was the very rain that pulled him away from his false reality and ripped him from the shell of his past self.

_Please come back Hinata, I want to understand you—I want to run away with you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left! Thank you so much for reading I love you all <3


	10. It Was Never Your Fault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter, I hope you are happy with the ending :)

The car’s engine ran fresh and full of fuel while the three drove through the town. Rain hadn’t stopped pouring for the past days and gutters around them were overflowing and rushing through the streets.

They left everything behind. Two out of the three refused to look outside the windows to see the townspeople ogling at their so called bravery for simply leaving. As though leaving was more complicated than the definition.

One however watched intently. His gaze sharp as he endured their final stares that would be forever burned into his memory.

Hinata’s mom hummed to a soft song on the radio that blended nicely with the pattering rain and the blasting heaters that warmed the car like a humid summer night.

The front seat was empty but the back two were filled. Two boys with very different colored hair sat side by side and as one looked at the other, one was looking away. Bandages and bruises littered their faces as remains of their recent hardships.

Komaeda looked from the window once they passed the gate and the population sign that would lose three of its numbers. Old and rusty it was and would forever remain.

_Let’s leave._

Red and Blue sirens are prominent whenever Hinata shut his eyes. The harsh flashes as he exited the forest lit up his path like the moonlight on pavement.

Hinata found Komaeda as soon as he could once finding his way back home. Komaeda sat with his feet pulled to his chest at the foot of his parent’s bed. The bed’s blanket was slightly pulled down from the top on both sides as though his parents’ had exited the bed just that morning, but it carried a coat of dust making it look like they’d never died their individual gruesome deaths.

Upon his entry, Komaeda looked towards the boy and a relived smile instantly filled his lips. He had a split lip, a bruised eye, and various cuts on his arms and one across his right cheek.

“You’re okay.” Komaeda breathed out seeming to be assuring himself of the fact.

Hinata nodded in response unable to form words to describe his emotions. It was like a jumble of anger, sadness, hesitation, and regret. Voicing his feelings was like trying to see a new color.

Komaeda continued to look at Hinata, face blank but mind rushing. The window was open and the grey sky shed a soft glow into the dusty room that gasped for breathe at the much needed air.

The clouds seemed to orchestrate a symphony of various raindrops pattering against the different surfaces outside of the window. High and short piano keys against flower pots and long deep keys from the rooftop.

“I’m so sorry Komaeda.” Hinata said over the rain.

Komaeda wasted no time with his response. “It’s my fault they did it. It’s my fault they hate me.”

Hinata too responded as though it were practiced. “It was never your fault. Nothing that has ever been done wrong to you was your fault.”

Komaeda maintained his stare, the deadness in his eyes refilling with an emotion with no name and he waited for more of the boy’s words.

“Your mother loved you, your father loved you, Chiaki loved you, your dog loved you-- I love you.” Hinata finished with a determined look in his eyes, assuring the two of them the reality of the statement.

“But there’s no way you—“

“I love you Komaeda, whether it be a friend or more.”

The emotion that filled Komaeda eyes spilled over and streamed down his cheeks as the damn that trapped his mind broke.

Hinata moved towards the weeping boy and winced as he sat down beside him, shoulder to shoulder and knees touching. He reached out his arms and hugged him tightly, but this tenacious grip wasn’t one of fear he would fall apart when released—it was one to assure himself that their troubles left with their tears.

Komaeda squeezed back and buried his face in Hinata’s shoulder, tears slipping through the fabric of his shirt.

 

 

A rare phenomenon is what Komaeda would call it. They pulled over once they saw the look in the shaking boy’s eyes.

Just as Komaeda’s feet touched the wet pavement, life seemed to rush up through his body and fill his veins of sunlight. The wet pavement sparkled like the heavens existed inside of it once the sun shattered its grey barrier. Rain continued to fall as the sun shone down on the new family of three, lighting up the ground like falling stars that wanted to give the Earth kisses.

The warmth and rain kissed his skin and felt much safer than the fire of his tree. It’s encompassed him in a throbbing light as he lifted his arms to the sky and laughed.

He felt free in that moment. All of the pain holding him down seemed to get washed away from the calm rain. Jewels continued flying up from the pavement once the water smacked into the ground and rushed down the street.

His eyes remained on the sky until he heard a noise beside him. He slowly guided his gaze over and saw Hinata, glistening in the sun and looking like he was finally where he belonged.

His tan skin meshed perfectly in the brightness and he smiled his smile that exposed the dimple on his right cheek.

No words were spoken as Komaeda rushed up to him and embraced him in a hug. A kiss would have certainly been Hinata’s ideal, but this was more than enough. Both were wet while they hugged each other and both had smiles on their faces.

The sun remained shining down on them and the clouds continued to part.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Are you boys looking forward to school tomorrow?” Mrs. Hajime called out to them upstairs. She heard an onslaught of footsteps and Hinata turn the corner with a tired look on his face and his hand rapidly moving as he brushed his teeth.

“Have you seen Komaeda, I can’t find him.” Hinata exclaimed, almost unable to understand from the toothbrush lodged in his mouth.

“I thought he was with you.” She answered with a raised eyebrow.

Hinata winced at his mint toothpaste burning his mouth and rushed to the kitchen sink to spit it out. To his mom’s dismay he placed his brush on the counter and looked out of the window.

Hinata saw a fully dressed and poufy white haired boy sitting on the curb in front of their home. He let out a large sigh of relief and calmly made his way to Komaeda.

Komaeda heard the door open and glanced back, but overall didn’t remove his gaze from the horizon. Hinata sat down next to him, shoulder to shoulder and knees touching.

“Are you okay?” He asked with worry at his odd behavior.

The sun was still rising and was now peeking over the hill in front of their house. Komaeda looked over and gave a nervous smile accompanied with a chuckle that puffed out steam from the cold air.

“Yes, I’m just rather nervous.”

Hinata laughed and leaned his head onto Komaeda’s shoulder.

“Yeah, me too. But you don’t need to worry, with your looks everyone’s bound to love you.”

Komaeda spluttered at Hinata’s teasing and snapped his gaze away from the sun to him. A scarlet tint filled his cheeks and his mouth was slightly ajar.

“M-Me? How about you? Everyone practically fell for you when they first saw you.” Komaeda retaliated making the formerly confident boy return the blush.

“Were you o-one of those people?” Hinata asked, trying to maintain his taunts but embarrassing himself in the process.

“No—well I don’t think I was, I can’t quite remember.” He said, momentarily forgetting his bashfulness.

Hinata laughed and stood up, hands on his knees to support himself. After he stretched his back, he reached his hands down to help Komaeda up.

Komaeda took one last look at the sunrise and nervously looked back towards Hinata’s hands in which he hesitantly grabbed.

Once he was standing their faces were in front of each other. Their eyes remained unmoving, studying each other and waiting for what was bound to happen, happen. Both of their heartbeats quickended and they released a puff of warm air as Hinata leaned forward slowly and pressed his lips to Komaeda’s whom flinched, but after returned the kiss.

His lips were soft and warm from his coffee and Hinata’s were icy cold from his mint toothpaste. Their first kiss was nothing short of sloppy, both knew nothing of what to do and had their eyes squeezed shut as though from pain. Hinata’s hands squeezed his harder like an attempt to assure him of something. As they pulled back from each other, Hinata released and pulled the out of breathe and shocked boy into a hug.

“It’s going to be fine.” Hinata reassured as he squeezed him tighter, Komaeda’s shaking reminding him of his fragileness. “I’ll be right there with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly so emotional after writing this. I know it wasn't long or crazy and action packed, but this story meant a lot to me as my first one. I really hope you all enjoyed this and I love you all for your support that kept me writing. I hope you are all satisfied with the ending, I hate sad endings so I'm pleased that I made it a happy one. Thank you all so much for reading <3


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